Hunter
by Foxipaw
Summary: Bella is heir to the throne of a powerful race of people, Hunters. At the top of the food chain, it's her job to maintain the law of the land, something she does very well. Unfortunately this makes her a threat to her corrupted family's way of life. They want her out of the picture, but what will become of a 'suicide mission' to Forks, Washington? B/A, RatingT-M
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright, here's chapter one of my new story, Hunter! Hope you enjoy, please REVIEW!**

"This is an outrage!" My voice seethed. I was livid, I'll be the first to admit.

My grandmother's voice, however, was stone hard and ice cold, as compared to my burning rage. "You were not granted a _choice_, Isabella."

I quivered. "I know what you're trying to do, you old crone! Simply because I refuse to take a mate, you think to replace me with my brother? Hope something out there will be my match, and I'll be out of the way? Well you're out of luck there. Milo is only twelve, not even close to coming of age, and even then we both know he's a hopeless Hunter. He won't even pass his Trial."

"You will not speak of your blessed family that way! I forbid it!"

"Forbid this, you hag!" I brandished my middle finger inches from her face. "You want me gone? Very well. I leave of my own free will, but when the Xerabii attack and your leader is neigh on powerless, don't expect me to come save your sorry asses." The Xerabii, a smaller Clan to the south, had been trying to amass enough strength to take over our land and tribe for years. It was only a matter of time.

I stormed from the pavilion, magic surging about me in an enraged scarlet aura. My Tribe lounged outside, on old tree trunks or sitting simply on the ground. Rafael, the oldest second only to me, as well as my second in command, was first to his feet. "Well?" He asked, anxious.

I looked around to see the same expression reflected on the others faces as well. All five of them, just as anxious as the first. "It started out bad, and quickly became worse. The crone has sent us on what she thinks is a suicide mission, to take out a coven of vampires and a pack of shape-shifters. In response, I have formally abdicated my position as first in line for the Askari throne."

I expected the gasps, even outrage. Not this quiet silence. It roared in my ears.

"Well?" I asked, frustrated beyond words.

"It was to be expected." Holly said. She was a short girl with flaming red hair with black streaks running through it and blazing turquoise eyes.

"When do we leave?" Archer asked, standing behind Holly, determined. His raven hair gleamed indigo in the firelight.

"_What_?" I asked, taken aback. "No, absolutely not! You are all well-to-do, heroes in the eyes of the Clan. I will not allow you to throw your future away."

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. We'd still be milksops, rejects with no cause or purpose. You had faith in us, now we're repaying the favor." Archer's twin sister, Aria said, voice strong. As opposed to his raven hair, her's was the color of gleaming moonlight.

"Our allegiance is not to Haebus, it's to you." Birch, the last of my Tribe, said with conviction.

I was, understandably, thunderstruck. "Well... well then, I don't see why we're wasting so much time. Gather your things, quickly. We leave tonight."

"Already taken care of." Rafael gestured to six heaped piles of supplies.

"You even brought my gear? But... how-"

"You're not very hard to predict. A person would have to be blind not to have seen this coming." Holly answered, smiling. "Especially when we've known you for as long as we have."

I grinned and whistled. From over the tree tops, a glowing orb soared, blurred with speed, until it came to rest at my side, taking on the form of a wolf. Kind of. The aura was green as a general color, but silvery and slightly translucent, and hovered a foot or two off of the ground. The head, chest, and front paws were clearly defined, but the rest dabbled off into a ghostly trail. He was Loki, my Spirit Companion. Loki opened his mouth and spoke.

"Are we leaving then?" His voice was warm, like summer oak, and had a slight Irish accent.

"We are."

"About time!" He whirled around, plunging into the forest, clearly expecting us to follow. I still loved watching him run, even after all this time, how his front legs ran like the rest of him followed.

Me and my Tribe were hot on his heels until we came to a clearing where the others Companions waited. Rafael went to greet the spirit of a Stag, named Tem; Holly met a red fox, named Renia; Archer met a dog, some kind of hound and rottweiler mix, named Beto; Aria met a Mountain Lion, named Tekio; and Birch met a bear named Iargo.

"Alright guys, let's move out."

They nodded and in a cloud of sudden fog, each guide became more and more substantial, growing until each mount, species unimportant, was large enough for each to ride. They were quite real now, back legs and all, as well as decorated in war paint. Loki's white fur was in places covered in red and black dots, stripes, and zig zags. I looked around to find everyone else comfortable seated and ready to run. So run we did. Our clan, at that time, had been situated somewhere within the wilds of Canada. Our destination was Forks, Washington. Not that I had ever been there before or even heard of the place before now, I trusted Loki to find the way. He always did. The ride, while quicker than driving, or even flying, was still long and boring, so I figure this would be a good time to tell you a bit about myself.

My name is Isabella Marie Ravensage. I am a Hunter. No, not the kind that gets decked out in camo, sprays themselves with urine, and sits in a tree stand for endless hours. I'm the supernatural Hunter. The magic wielders, the shamans, the bounty hunters and supernatural wardens. We are a closely knit group, our entire species, whether we've met or not. Our Clans are usually isolated from the rest of the world, but if there's trouble, we'll hear it and we'll deal with the problem. Simple as that. Or, maybe, not so simple. In our Clans, there can be tens of families, even hundreds. The elder of every Noble Family, that is those with the strongest blood, the strongest powers, lead a tribe, along with those of the Clan who do the best in training. These are members of their age group within the clan that don't qualify to lead. Now me... me, I'm somewhat of an enigma.

My family, the Ravensages, have lead the Askari Clan since it was founded over a thousand years ago. I was in line for the throne, except... well... I don't want it. Normally, when an heir comes of age, at twenty-one, they are to choose a mate. As soon as the female in the pair bond, me in this case, becomes pregnant and births yet another heir, they take over the leadership of the entire Clan. I never wanted that. At all. So to say I was a bit of a rebel would be... well, the understatement of the century. They had to put up with it though because I was, am, and always will be the best damn Hunter our entire race has ever seen. We don't understand it, where my power comes from, how I got it, or how I'm meant to use it, but that doesn't really matter to me.

My Tribe, all of them, were disowned by their families because they couldn't learn as fast as their other children. In our society, the weak are left to die. Only the strong are allowed to flourish. In my opinion, that's bull shit. I helped the Orphans, as we call them, learn and train. I was a hard task master, none will dispute that, but the results were more than worth it. For two years that they were hidden in the woods, presumed dead of course, but when they come back and out shot, fought, and killed some of our finest warriors, my elders had no choice but to grant my request that they become my Tribe. And they've hated me ever since, just because an Heir's tribe is supposed to be of strongest blood, and they weren't. I went against their stupid customs, and suddenly I became their biggest enemy. Just because I wanted change. I guess we all win now.

I never hid from my elders how much I hated them, and their way of living. Strong versus the weak. Powerful versus the fragile. I believed that everyone has the chance for greatness and denying them of that was hurting the entire Clan, not strengthening it. But I couldn't leave, not then. Because there was one thing the Clan had that I needed, and that was the Hunt. They were the one's with the name. If people had problems, they went to the Askari Elders, not their malcontent heir. If I left... I wouldn't have known what to do with my life. Now though, that didn't matter. I was going to Forks, to take out these Vampires and Shape-shifters, then we were going vigilante. Do things _our_ way for once.

Now there's one more thing I should mention about us Hunters... We're deadly in more ways than you could possibly imagine. We each wield magic, more or less depending on the person. I can start fires with the snap of my fingers, I can part seas with a wave of my hands. I can speak with any animal that crosses my path, I can worm into the mind of any human. We all can. Also, we age a bit differently than regular humans. Our brains are fully developed by age five, but the speed at which we can learn doesn't slow until age twenty, at which the process of aging itself slows to a near halt. For the first nineteen years of our life, we learn everything from how to brew deadly poisons and miracle potions, to learning how to use any weapon, even a tooth pick, and turn it into a Reaper's tool. At age twenty, well, our body seems to freeze. We may be stuck as a twenty year old for two, three centuries. Even after then, it's one or two centuries until we reach old age and die. Only problem is, our line of work isn't exactly danger-free. To make it to age three hundred is considered quite a feat.

Me? I'm only seventeen. I still have a little over three years before I become pseudo-immortal. The youngest in my Tribe are the twins, Archer and Aria, who are seventeen (just barely), but we're all considered warriors or the top level. The politically correct termination would be Falcons which means we have proven ourselves to be the best of the best, that we've been certified to hunt, track, and kills basically any creature on the face of the earth, and that we're trained and ready for battle against any creature on the face of the earth.

Now we were actually going to be able to use it.

We stopped for breakfast about three hours later, when we were three fourths of the way there. Feeling somewhat nostalgic, I set to gathering firewood the old fashioned way, with my hands. Bringing it back, I pulled out a flint and steel from the leather pack I wore over my shoulder. I had made it myself, from the skin of my first bear. A few strokes later an ember was burning and soon grew into a warm fire. A grin spread across my features as I asked, "Who's up for a little competition?"

My Tribe had previously been lounging about, either sharpening weapons, practicing magic or archery, or just cloud gazing but at the sound of my words they all jumped to their feet. "Yeah?" Holly asked, hand already on her bow.

"Whoever can kill the biggest rabbit in half an hour gets to choose their target when we get to Forks." Normally, I assigned them based on strategy, now they had the choice. I could see the energy shiver through them. "Oh, and slings only." I grinned even broader.

Eyes alight with the challenge, I dismissed them and they scattered. I too melted into the woods. I was already in my hunting gear, soft soled dark brown leather boots that came to my knee, tough leather leggings that clung to my skin, a white linen shirt that fell to my wrists, and a leather chest guard made of hardened leather and fitted to my form. It laced up the front and had buckles where I could strap in my quiver. I wore the amulet of my Clan, the northern star made of yellow topaz, and a midnight blue sapphire set in the center, looking somewhat like a compass rose, around my neck. I may have renounced my family, but my Clan had raised me and fed me and trained me, and that I would always respect.

I had two knives at my waist, one iron, one silver, rawhide cords hanging from my belt which served multiple purposes, from setting snares to restraining more... human-like prey, and a small satchel of medicines. In one hand I held ten small, perfectly round river pebbles and in the other was my worn leather sling. My senses, my magic, was extended out into the forest. I slowed my breathing and even my heart rate until it felt as if my very soul had seeped into the forest around me. I ranged out my mind's eye, seeing yet not seeing, hearing yet not hear, searching for any trace of life. I found countless small rodents, an old owl in his hollow, a several rabbits but all were too small to be worth my while. I searched farther yet, pushing the boundaries of my magic.

Finally, a big buck of a rabbit, nestled under a broad frond of fern, half asleep, caught my mind's eye. He was big alright, bigger than any I had seen as of yet. He'd probably weigh out around ten or fifteen pounds. Enough meat to hold me over for a day or so. I began my approach. It was slow going, to be sure, watching for every twig, pausing every time a bird chirped, fearing one would set off an alarm. It must have been fifteen minutes before I was in range, though I had only gone maybe one hundred yards. Despite that I was no more than twenty feet from my prey, I could not see him. I silently loaded my sling, took a deep breath, and-

"Psst!" I hissed, loud, and the rabbit popped it's head out of cover, ready to flee.

Whack!

My pebble hit the mark. Laughing with relief, it was only then that I noticed the adrenaline within my veins. I jogged up to gather my prey, whistling at his hefty weight. This was going to be quite the meal. I wasn't long getting back to camp, though I did pause to converse with a red fox. She had had a late litter of pups and was afraid they wouldn't be strong enough by the time winter came around. Summer pups rarely were. She asked if I had any meat to spare, and I was quick about dispatching a nearby smaller rabbit for her and her pups. She thanked me profusely and disappeared into the bushes.

That was something I wouldn't have been able to do back home. The elders were very strict about respecting the laws of nature, but that was bull. One rabbit and two extra foxes wasn't going to make a lick of difference. Back at camp, I saw that I was second to last to arrive, but Holly was quick on my heels.

"Alright, hold 'em up!" I said, brandishing my catch proudly.

Rafael glared at his rabbit, as if it offended him. I could understand why, the thing was pitiful. To his dismay, none of us could hold in our giggles and he was quick to defend himself. "I had just found the glade I wanted to hunt, I had a rabbit in my sights bigger than any of yours, wouldn't ya know it an owl sweeps in a plucks him up, carries 'im off!"

"Oh, _sure_." Holly said, eyes bright. She showed us her rabbit, a fine she-creature, and we showed our appreciation. Archer's and Aria's were smaller than Holly's, but not by much, whereas Birch's was bigger, though not by much. My rabbit, I'm proud to say, topped them all.

"You know, it's hardly fair, having to hunt against a Legend." Rafael grumbled.

"You shouldn't eat sour grapes, Raf." I joked, teasing. "Your face might get stuck in that grimace."

He blushed and stormed off, unsheathing his knife and starting to skin and gut his dinner. I laughed and did the same with mine. What might had been a full meal for two normal humans wasn't completely filling for just one Hunter. Our gifts meant that we burned energy faster than normal and needed a lot more sustenance. Also, we could live entirely off of meat, because, as the legends went, we were three fourths predator to begin with. I didn't know if it was true or not, but I did know that whenever we ate meat, our canine teeth grew quite a bit, and even our molars sharpened. Once my rabbit was skinned and ready to cook (most of us preferred cooked meat, even though it wouldn't hurt us to eat it raw) I put it on a spit and sat before the flames, watching as it popped and sizzled.

"So Bells, what are we gonna do once we take care of this problem in Forks?" Aria asked, cocking her head to the side, taking a bite out of her rabbit's haunch.

I shrugged, removing my dinner from it's place over the fire. "Dunno." I pulled a tin cup I had resting at the edge of the fire away. In it, where there used to be a steeping spring of hickory bark, there was now a dried out sheath of bark and a dark residue. This woodland salt I scraped out and sprinkled over the meat, giving it a bit more flavor. "I haven't thought much about. I guess just do what we do best."

Birch smiled, his corn silk hair tinted orange in the fire light. "I like the sound of that. We officially nomads, then?"

"I s'pose so. Unless of course, you want to go back?" I asked them, one eye brow raised.

"Hell no we don't!" Rafael said, grimacing in disgust. "No offense Bells, but your Elder's made life with the Askari a living hell. I know things weren't always that bad, but until they right themselves again, I have no intention of return."

I nodded and grinned, not feeling the need to speak.

It was an hour or two before dawn, when we planned to start moving again, that I found myself staring up at the sky. Loki and I had wandered around, scouting the area, and ended up finding a wide meadow. The stars were brilliant out here and soon enough we were sprawled out on our backs, disturbed expressions on our faces.

"What do you think it means?" I asked, trying to push down the niggling fear that grew in my gut.

"Not sure. Venus parallel to Jupiter, and the angle it has to Mars... Plus, see there? It's been traveling through Taurus so far this year."

I grimaced. "That's no good. It has to mean something else."

"Bella, you're in denial. Mars in Taurus was the sign you were born under, and the Ruling Planet and the Goddess of Love in alignment with it?"

"Why on earth would I be such a big deal to the universe? That's insane."

"Do you really believe those words, or did they come out on their own?" Loki asked, voice dry.

I fidgeted.

"The stars have brought word to every major event that's happened since your birth. Your birth itself, for one. Your first training. Your first kill. Your first Hunt. Now, your first love. You should be happy for the warning."

"I don't _want_ to love, though! It's nothing but a hassle!" I burst out.

Loki only chuckled. "You only say that because you never have. And, you're the smallest bit afraid. Before you try to deny it, please remember that I am in fact a part of you. I would know."

I sighed. "So what if I am?"

"Well, why?"

"Why am I afraid? Simple. There's nothing on this planet that can take me out, at least nothing I've come across yet. Because I don't let them. Love is no different from a Banshee or a rabid bear, it's just another beast that wants to get close enough to kill me. Except it's a thousand times more dangerous than even a Drake, because I would _let _it."

Loki sighed. "Quite the contrary, if that's your attitude, I think some love in your life would do you a world of good. You need to learn how to trust, pup."

"Don't pup me. And I trust! I would trust my Tribe with my life!"

"Yes, you would. You would trust them with your _body_. Skin can be healed easily. A broken bone doesn't hurt nearly as bad as a broken heart and heals much quicker."

I scoffed darkly. "Well said. That doesn't change my opinion however."

"Hopefully, time will."

We dropped into silence then, each considering the others words and each equally disturbed.

We arrived in Forks before noon the next day, but we had scented the Vampires since nine or ten o' clock. They ranged far out, that I could see, probably so they could prey upon unsuspecting hunters and hikers. We did a scan of the area, grid pattern standard, but found none other than humans and animals. With the town less than two miles off, we switched into more acceptable human clothing, A.K.A hoodies and jeans, converse too. We took to the roads, walking in on them, with the cover story that our families were primitive camping, but we needed a healthy dose of society.

If my memory served, it was Tuesday so the humans would likely be in school. "I've got an idea. Let's lounge around the school until they dismiss for lunch. A town like this can't have more than one school, maybe the Shape shifters will be hanging around."

"Solid, let's do it." Rafael said from where he lounged at my side.

I muttered a short incantation that would put a glamour over us, a spell that mortals couldn't see through, made us look invisible. Granted, we _could_ do invisibility spells, but they take a lot more energy and if we were gonna be fighting today, I wanted to conserve as much of that as I could. The only downsides of this was that if we bumped into anyone they would notice us, and our reflections could be seen as well.

It wasn't hard to find the school, the town itself couldn't have had more than twenty streets. We had timed it just right; as soon as we stepped foot onto the school grounds the bell rang, and students began to pour out the doors. I dropped my Glamour, signaling Holly and Aria to do the same. They flanked me, a knowing glint in their eyes and coy smiles on their lips. We lounged against a brick fence that enclosed the parking lot, waiting for our prey to approach. And approach he did, in the form of a teenage boy, around our age, with blond hair and baby blue eyes. Like a shark drawn to blood, the second he walked out of the school doors his eyes seemed to lock onto us, and a noticeable swagger came into his steps.

"Hey, girls. Don't think I've seen you around this one horse town before. You lost?"

I let out my most appealing giggle, feeling my ego swell as it had a visible effect. "Hey yourself. You're half right, we _are_ new to the area, but we're not lost. I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me, if you have the time?" Cue pout... cue erection. Mission accomplished.

"Sure thing. I'm your man. Name's Mike Newton by the way. Whatcha wanna know?" He leaned over the brick fence, getting closer to us while simultaneously hiding his pitched tent.

"Oh this and that." I knew he fished for my name, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to give that information out. Besides, I only knew a small amount about the shape-shifters, so I tried to frame it into an inconspicuous question. "We've been hearing that there's a Native American Reservation around these parts?"

"Oh yeah! You mean La Push? Great surfing there, and the people are nice for the most part. Unless you're looking for a party spot, that is. Bonfires are cool, but the Rez has it's own little police force nowadays. Some local boys don't let minors hang with alcohol or dope. You need any of that, I can hook you up." He winked. _Winked_. Idiot. His information was good though, it sounded just like what we were looking for.

"I'll keep that in mind." I flashed him a smile. "So what's it like around here? Our parents travel a lot, we don't get to settle much in one place for too long. What's it like in a small town?"

Mike grinned. "Boring as hell. Nothing ever happens here. Everyone knows everyone. We _never_ get any new faces around here. Well, I guess I can't say that exactly. A year ago we got one new family, and I guess their weird enough to make up for it."

"Oh?" I asked, trying to sound intrigued. Humans liked to gossip, right?

"Yeah, The Cullens. All adopted by the local doctor. They keep to themselves, exclusively. All pale, all freaking gorgeous. All have weird yellow eyes, but those are contacts of course. Still, they act like a cult." He scoffed.

I on the other hand found his information rather interesting. Pale? Beautiful? Odd colored eyes? Not red of course, but it was still something. And they attended the school here... how odd. "That is odd. Well, thanks for talking with us, Mike! We better get back before our parents miss us."

He looked disappointed. "Oh, yeah sure. See ya, ladies."

We walked away, ducking into an alley a ways away so we could recast our Glamour. The boys were waiting for us, grinning from ear to ear. "Well done, girls! We heard the whole thing. Sounds like we've found our quarry." Birch said, lounging against an old air conditioner.

"We still need to do some investigation. I'll admit, if these Cullens are our Vampires, I want to learn as much about them as we can. There are too many unknowns for me to feel comfortable. Yellow eyes? And the one that sounds like the patriarch, a doctor? Surrounded by all that blood? For what purpose?"

Rafael sighed. "I agree. This whole situation reeks of... well, it's just out of sorts. I don't like it one bit. But what do we do?"

"We need to find out where the Vampires live. It can't be too far if they're trying to keep up a human appearance. Let's wait it out here until the day's over, and we can follow them."

My Tribe nodded, settling down into more comfortable positions.

**A/N: Well, what did you think? Is it any good? Worthy of being continued? Or should I trash it? Let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter two, up already? GASP! Trust me, this won't be a frequent occurrence, just a Happy New Years present! Enjoy!**

It wasn't as bad to wait as it might sound. We were used to this, anyways. Part of our training had been in long term stake-outs. We had been taught mental tricks to help pass the time, small games we could play that were both inconspicuous and engaging. It didn't seem long at all before off in the distance we heard the school bell ring once again. We hurried across the street and into the woods, where our Companions could run without being seen. Knowing the Vampire's superior senses, we masked our own heartbeats and scents, while our Companions (Being spirits) didn't have any in the first place. The Vampires didn't keep us waiting any longer. They were one of the first cars out of the lot, our noses could tell, driving a Volvo and a flashy BMW, zipping down the road way faster than could possibly be legal. Of course it was no problem for Loki or the others, but still.

A sprawling open lawn was in stark contrast with the dense woods, and the house even more so. They lived far out of town, barely within the limits, in a big white mansion. Well, maybe a manor instead, but it was definitely impressive. It had two levels from what I could tell, but the house was nearly twice as wide as it was tall, not including the garage. We hid in the woods as the sports cars pulled up alongside a massive Jeep, a Porsche, a Mercedes, and a sleek looking black motorcycle. Okay, so these Vamps were loaded, that much was obvious.

I felt a tickled at the base of my skull and lowered my mental defenses, to be met with the voices of my Tribe. _What do you think? You got a plan?_ Holly asked, watching them like hawks.

_I don't know, not yet. Quite honestly... so far I haven't seen a reason to take them out._

_ What?_ Birch, Archer, and Aria asked at once.

_Seriously, they just... just don't seem like a threat. I mean honestly, one of them is a freaking doctor!_

_ Maybe, but they're probably just extra sadistic, probably get a thrill out of playing innocents, probably like fucking with their prey's minds. Wouldn't be the first time we've come across something like it. _Rafael said, eying them warily. They were just now starting to get out of their cars.

_Perhaps. But I want to observe them a while longer. Perhaps we should venture down to La Pu- _My mind's voice cut off as if a guillotine had severed it clean, my breath catching in my throat in quite a painful way. My eyes locked on to one of the Vampires, one in particular.

She was small, smaller than any of the others, smaller even than Holly. Her hair was short, raven colored, and spiked in what could only be described as ordered chaos. She walked with a certain grace, as if she were constantly dancing. She was lithe and toned and glowed with a soft prism-like aura, surrounded by flashes of very color imaginable. _Shit._ A fire roared through my body as my magic, my mind, my _self_ all warped and shifted and rearranged itself. My entire being angled around her, I could feel it, almost watch it as if I were having an out of body experience. A sound like a roaring tidal wave was crashing around my head rang in my ears, and my vision tunneled until I could see nothing but her.

After what seemed like an eternity the sensation passed, leaving me reeling back and breathing hard. Rafael cast a quick silencing charm, or the vamps would certainly have heard my panting breath or the twigs I snapped as I fell backwards.

"Shit!" I repeated out loud. "Shit shit shit!" I grabbed handfuls of hair and tugged, trying to focus on just that, as my mind tried to fly into overdrive. Did that _really _happen? Did I really just find my _mate?_ Was she really a _vampire_? Key word being _SHE_!

"Holy hell, Bells! I didn't know you swung that way!" Birch said, amusement coating his astonished expression. I saw the same look mirrored on everyone elses face as well.

"I didn't either! Fuck, guys! What the hell am I going to do? I can't- I can't-"

Rafael, never one to beat around the bush, pulled me up by my hood until I was standing. Shaking me a bit, he said, "Get a grip! Are you our Alpha, or not?"

I was too stunned to answer.

"Look me in the eyes, Bells, right now." I did as he asked. "She is your _mate_. You don't have a choice in this one, you _will_ be with her."

"But how?" I asked, desperate for answers.

"Easy. We're staying in Forks for a while. We're buying a house, we're moving in, and you're going to meet her."

I gulped, fear turning my veins to ice. "But what if-"

"Uh uh!" He shook me again. "No buts. Come on, we're going to find a realtor."

As it turned out, the realtors office was only a block away from city hall. By the time we got there I was almost back to normal, and I had to play alpha again. Out side the door I sighed and wrapped a strong glamour around all of us, on of the strongest I had cast in a long time. It was refreshing to feel so much power washing through my veins, a cold fire and rejuvenated me and made me feel alive. I tried not to dwell on the fact that warping that much energy would kill anyone else, and instead pushed through the double doors.

With my spell active, several things would happen. First, I had an Honesty spell in place so that when I asked the bottom dollar on a house, they would actually give it to us, and we wouldn't need to haggle. Second, I included a Trust spell so that they would believe anything we said, unconditionally. I could say I was a flying pig and they wouldn't even have a second thought. I also weaved in a variant of a Calming spell, so no one would get suspicious that several very young people would be spending such large sums of money. Last but not least, I made all the spells Taggers, meaning that if anyone we spoke to today decided to gossip, as humans were prone to do, our magic would seep out into them, hopefully easing our transition into town.

I walked up to the front desk and smiled sweetly at the woman sitting there.. "Hello there."

I watched as her face changed as my spells took hold. "Well hello there. How can I help you today?"

I had been thinking on this story since we left the Cullen's house. "Our parents are journalists, they travel all over the world, but they grew up not too far from here. I'm eighteen, but my siblings here aren't, so our parents have sent us to buy a home for us to live in while they travel. Can you help us?"

"Of course!" She seemed eager. Good. "I can help you myself, if you'll please follow me?"

She led us to a back room, one that held a computer, a desk, and several chairs. She sat behind the desk and booted up the monitor. "First things first, how will you be paying?"

"Our family has an online bank account, we're to draw from that for our down payment and monthly bills." It was true. The Askari were one of the oldest Clans in the world, and felt very little need to use their wealth, due to the rustic lifestyle we were used to. One or two greedy bastards centuries ago had made a small fortune (with the help of their magic, granted) and the money had none nothing but grow since then. On top of that, none of my family had left the woods in thirty years. They wouldn't miss a few hundred thousand dollars.

"Of course, one moment please... The account and PIN?"

I gave her all the information she would need and watched with pleasure as our account and statements pulled up before her, how her eyes widened with surprise. "Money isn't an issue, as you can see. What do you have available that is out of the way of the town, and large enough for six young adults to live comfortably?"

"Well... we have several houses. Why don't I print these out for you, and we can talk more." She had four homes fitting our description, but two were immediately disqualified, being too small. The other two were wonderful. The first was a manor much like the Cullen's house, with a plantation home style. It had a broad sweeping porch complete with a swing, a pleasing floor plan, seven rooms and four bathrooms, as well as a three car garage. However, it couldn't much compare with the final house.

It was perfect. It was just as large as the first, except it somehow seemed cozier. It was modeled after a mountain cabin. Made with real wood, the back of the house was almost an entire sheet of glass, forming a point in the typical mount style. The interior was mostly hardwood, with up to date appliances and a huge kitchen. The floor plan was gorgeous, and it too had seven rooms and four bathrooms. The area surrounding it was what sold it for us though. It was surrounded by what looked like an ancient forest. Right behind the house ran a bubbling stream. The house exterior looked as if if had grown out of the ground, a perfect mixture of stone and lumber. It was perfect.

And pricey.

"We'll take it." I said with conviction.

Our realtor, whose name I still did not know, cleared her throat a bit uncomfortably. "It's.. quite pricey. Are you sure your parents are okay with you spending so much?"

"Yes, of course. They told us not to limit ourselves. They want us to be as well taken care of as possible while they aren't able to be with us. We'll take it. How soon can we move in?"

"Two days should be enough to take care of the paperwork. We have some catalogs here, if you want to order some furniture. We work with several providers, we can have it moved in by the time you do."

"Wonderful!" I grinned, signing my name on the paper she shoved towards me. I watched with satisfaction as she made the down payment on my family's bank account.

"Now we can wire the payments directly from this account if you don't want the hassle of the post, seeing as your drive way is almost a mile long in of itself. Here's all the house information, address, zip code, emergency numbers in the town. Do you have a phone number you'd like to use?"

"Doesn't matter," I shrugged.

"Alright, well I'll assign you one then... Alright! If you've got your furniture picked, you're good to go! Here's the key, and we have a few spares here as well. It's all yours. The movers should be there on Friday with all your purchases."

"Thank you!" We said as we walked out the door.

Like a breath I didn't know I was holding, I let my spell go in a rush. My breathing was slightly labored, my limbs a bit jelly like, but overall I was fine. I saw Rafael just shake his head from the corner of my eye and I turned to him, asking, "What?"

"I still to this day find it astonishing the kind of magic you can wield. It's terrifying," he joked, trying to ease the tension of his earlier statement.

Our Companions, in ghost form again, chose that moment to glide through the wall of one of the local stores. Humans couldn't see them, and they loved to snoop. I turned to Loki and asked, "Find anything good?"

"Not much," he answered.

Renia, Holly's fox Companion, rolled her eyes and spoke. "We eavesdropped on some of the mortals, trying to get the scoop on your Alice, Bella." My gut twisted. My Alice?

"And?"

"Well, the humans have nothing but ill to be said about the Cullens, not a one seems to like them, and few even tolerate them. Except not a single mortal knows them. There isn't any basis, from what we could see, for their hatred." Iargo answered, his voice a deep bass, exactly what you'd expect from a bear.

"Foolish, if you ask me. But that is their instinct. They're prey in this situation, after all," Tem said.

"Well we'll find out for ourselves soon enough. Come on gang, let's go see our new house."

We decided that we'd take on our problems one at a time, a leave the Shape-shifters alone until we've got the Cullen situation handled. It was an unspoken agreement that we would in fact not take them out, seeing as one of them was my mate. In our culture, if one Hunter kills another Hunter's mate, it's grounds for a fight to the death. And none of us wanted that, so we'd just have to think of something else. We could still kill the Shape-shifters, though my gut told me we'd have complications there too. Friday came before we knew it, our furniture was delivered and we settled in to our rooms. The weekend was spent shopping, getting food, clothes, supplies, normal human things we would be expected to have (mostly video games), and anything else we needed to appear normal. We bought paint and (magically) decorated our rooms. We even bought a car, not that any sane person would have bought what we did with the unlimited budget we had, but the six of us loved it the second we laid eyes upon the old beat up Chevy truck, red orange and rusted. It was perfect.

It was Saturday when we were finally settled. "So how are we gonna go about this?" Birch asked. "It's not like we can just waltz up to them and be like 'hey, we know you're secret and our Alpha is in love with Alice. No big deal.' That's probably not gonna fly."

"Well if we wait long enough, the Mate Bond will probably solve our problems for us." Aria mused, staring at the TV, playing xbox with her brother and Holly. "Die, cretin! I mean, think about it. It won't be long until they're feeling each others feelings and eventually hearing each others thoughts. I'd wager that it's probably already painful for them to be apart."

Holly barked out a laugh. "Poor pixie vamp, she probably has no clue what's going on." I felt my heart rate speed up and the blood drain from my face. Holly was right! I was already feeling like a rubber band stretched too thin, with her vampire senses Alice was probably feeling ten times worse than me.

"We have to do something!"

"Whoa there Bella, easy now," Rafael said, eying me uneasily. "Birch is right, there's not much we _can_ do. I mean, you haven't even officially met her yet."

"Then that's our first step." Archer said with conviction. "Let's rig a meeting. They don't live too far from here, we could invite them over under the pretense of being neighborly."

"Our magic won't work on them though, not all of it. They'll know something's fishy, us not being in school and all." Holly said.

"What if that works to our advantage? I'm sure we don't smell like normal humans." Birch said.

"How is that advantageous?"

"Well, think of it this way. We can just jump passed the whole awkward secrets phase, just get into it, you know? No deceptions."

"We don't want to scare them off or anything," Rafael argued. "Pixie Vamp might not even know she's gay. Bella sure as hell didn't!"

I grumbled at that, but let them continue, thinking on my own. "How's this? Let's just... monitor them. Get to know them, how they work, why they do what they do, you know? Maybe once we know more we'll be able to think of something better."

Holly scoffed. "Pssh. Take all the fun out of it why don't you. Always so _logical._" She grinned, joking evident on her face.

"Terribly sorry, sir." I said, grinning as well.

"It's good enough, though. We might as well be doing _something_. I'm getting stir crazy here, being locked up in this house," Aria said, throwing her controller down as her brother offed her character one final time.

We spent a week watching the Cullens from afar. We noticed that maybe once every three days they would leave to hunt, but never all at one time. Whenever Alice left, Loki and I would always follow as close as was safe. We almost got caught one time, when she stopped suddenly, having sensed us. More accurately, me. See, our companions are the perfect hunting companion. We can ride on their backs, but their feet can remain... ethereal, as they run. They don't snap twigs, they don't have a scent, they don't have a heart beat and Hunter's can cast spells to mask themselves. Do, the only logical solution is that she could sense me nearby, as I could sense her.

It was in one of these situations that I found myself now. Usually when she went hunting, she would be in the company of one of the other females. Today she ran alone, and I was worrying my ass off, silly as it was, that something would hurt her. Out of the blue she stopped dead in her tracks and whirled back to where Loki and I were now concealed.

"I know you're there!" She yelled, frustrated. "I can't see you and I can't hear you and I can't smell you but I _know_ you're there. Why are you doing this?"

My mind was in overdrive. Was this the moment I would meet her? She was talking to me, and my stomach lurched, and I wanted nothing more than to answer her, reveal myself.

_No, Bella! This is not the time,_ Loki's voice rang in my ears. _Soon, pup. Soon, but not now._

Alice shrieked in frustration and continued her hunt. We followed still, but at a greater distance, until something strange happened. Alice froze again and I thought we had once again been sensed. Instead, my mate froze and her eyes glazed over. In a panic I leaped from Loki's back and made to run for her but his teeth locked onto my hunting belt. _Wait!_ Having no choice, I did as he asked. Alice snapped herself out of the trance, gasped, and turned straight around. We scrambled to get out of the way, but both of us could smell her fear and worry.

_What's happening, Loki?_

_ I'm not sure. Wait, Tekio says you need to get back to the Cullen house as soon as possible. The Shape-shifters are attacking._

My magic lashed out and crackled over my skin in anger. How _dare_ they attack my mate's family? _Tell her we're on our way, and so is Alice. Is everyone else there?_

_ No, Birch and Holly are still out shadowing the doctor and his mate, but they should arrive soon after we do._

_Good. _

_ The others are bedded down just behind the Vampires, ready and waiting for your word._

I hated running nearly a quarter mile behind my mate. I didn't know what danger she was going to be running into. Finally, after what seemed like ages, we could see the house through the trees. I pulled and invisibility spell over the both of us as we ran along the fringe of the woods to where my Tribe waited. My full attention however was on the crowd in the middle of the Cullen's large lawn_._

The three young males, the blond young female, and now Alice stood facing off against eight wolves and two humans who, by their scent, were shape-shifters too. The younger of the two human-form shifters spoke, his voice husky and enraged. "Don't lie to us, _leeches_. We know you've been on the rez, or smuggling other bloodsuckers into Forks. Why else would the gene have activated in so many?"

"Don't get your tail in a twist, _mutt_." The blond female hissed. "We haven't done anything. However, _you_ have. You've broken the treaty."

"What of it? You wanna fight us? You're outnumbered, two to one." The shifter began to shake, obviously on the verge of taking on his second shape.

One of the male vamps, the bronze-haired one, spoke now. His voice was calmer, more collected. "Come now, Jake, Sam. We promise we're not deceiving you, as little as our word means. We don't want to fight, and if you think about it, I'm sure you don't want to either. Yes, you may win, but how much young blood, untrained blood, will you lose in the process. Is it really worth it?"

"Don't try and fool me with your serpents tongue. We know you're hiding something!"

_Bella, what are we gonna do? _Rafael asked, somewhat panicked.

_Those two male shifters must be the leaders. If either of them shifts, makes a move to attack, so do we. Or, if any of them make a move towards Alice, I'm going in. I won't ask any of you to follow me._

_ You know we will anyways. You're _our_ alpha. _Aria said, smiling slightly from the back of Tekio.

I turned my attention back to the conflict going on. "In the last two weeks, _three_ new wolves have shifted. Three! And you expect us to believe that you've done nothing? You lying bastards, you have no _idea_ the lives you've ruined!"

"Don't do this, Jake." Alice, my sweet Alice, pleaded.

"Fuck you!" _Oh, _hell_ to the no. _The one who I assumed was Jake began to quiver, more now, and Sam backed away from him.

_He's past the point of no return now. Ready yourselves. _I said, countenance grim. No one spoke that way to my mate. I was gonna rip his to shreds.

Loki tensed beneath me. I dropped all of my spells so I would have a fresh slate to weave new ones. My magic crackled over my skin, a breeze stirring in response to my enormous power, blowing my hair around me. Hunter's instinct told me the second before he shifted, and we were flying. I felt my Tribe behind me, flanking me in an arrowhead formation. Neither wolves nor vampires noticed us gliding across the lawn at blinding speeds, lither, predatory, until it was too late. Jake had leaped towards Alice and mid flight Loki collided into him broadside. I had my sharpest knife drawn as midair I rolled from Loki's back onto Jake's. It was a move I had invented myself, and it worked to perfection. Jake was far too startled to notice until I had severed a lock of his fur and I was of again. Mid air, I shouted out a spell in the Language of All. The ancient language of the spirits, the Language of the magic that ran through all things, alive and dead, animate and inanimate.

"_Brestata eli mok!" _My voice roared with spiritual energy, my one voice melding with hundreds of spirits. I channeled my magic through my focus, the lock of hair in my hand, and watched with pleasure as my spell took affect. _Stop with pain._

Jake let out a blood curdling sound as fire roared through his veins. See, I could have done something similar without the focus or the Language of All, but it wouldn't be nearly as powerful. Not only that, but everyone present knew I spoke a different language, yet they all felt the words radiate into their core. They were off balance, mentally and physically, as the rest of my Tribe collided with the biggest threats. The young and small were ignored as Companions engaged the wolves and my Tribe dismounted to weave their spells.

From the corner of my eye I saw the elder Vampires go to stand behind the others, and then through the chaos I heard a gasp and the soul trembling shiver that I personally knew all too well. I whirled around to see Holly and Birch running into the clearing. "No, Bella! Stop! _Please_!" Holly screamed, her voice breaking, eyes locked onto one of the wolves.

_Oh, shit! _"_Peki!_" Freeze. Everything in the clearing, myself being the only exception, froze. Companions, Vampires, Hunters, Wolves. I sagged for a moment with the drain, but steeled myself. There was still work to be done. I looked over to where Holly had come to rest, on her knees, hands in her hair, eyes locked on one of the smaller wolves. He too was staring at her, tail tucked between his legs, eyes wide. Shit indeed.

**A/N: Hopefully I don't loose too many readers now that the pairing has come into play, but oh well! What'd ya think? :D REVIEW, as always!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry about the mix up guys! Here's an extra chapter to make up for it! **

_ I looked over to where Holly had come to rest, on her knees, hands in her hair, eyes locked on one of the smaller wolves. He too was staring at her, tail tucked between his legs, eyes wide. Shit indeed. _I massaged my temples in exasperation. "Nothing is ever easy." I turned to where Jake had frozen, crouched on the ground, and realized belatedly that my spell was probably still torturing him, despite the fact that he could not express it. "_Brestata magei._" Stop spell. I said, letting the spell go but tucking the lock of hair into my belt pouch. I turned to him, removing my knife from my belt, and swiping my hand over his eyes to remove the magic coating them, allowing them to rove, to watch me. My voice dropped to an icy, deadly volume.

"Listen here, pooch." I gently placed the blade of my knife over his jugular, not putting any pressure on it, but holding it there all the same. "If I were you, I'd get the temper in check. The Cullens were telling the truth, they had no part in our arrival. They haven't even seen us up until now. They don't know who we are, what we do, or where we come from. Neither do you. If you did, maybe you'd have been a bit more respectful. No one as lowly as a _shifter_ speaks to a Hunter's mate like you have and gets away with it. The only reason I'm not choosing to bleed you out onto the ground right now is because my Tribe mate seems to have taken a liking to your friend here. Heh. Lucky day, huh? But make no mistake. Threaten my mate again, and you'll soon regret the day you were born."

I turned my back on him then, ignoring the vampires for now, focusing instead on Holly. I dropped the spell on both her and the young wolf who was apparently her mate.

The first thing the sandy wolf did was run into the woods. I felt the despair in Holly, all the way down to her bones, but the boy was soon back, running over to where she stood, kneeling before her. "What's your name?" His voice was muted, quiet, awestruck.

"Holly. What's yours?"

"Seth. Holly, what's going on?" He asked, confused and concerned.

Holly looked to me, pleading. I tilted my head towards the woods and she nodded, leading him away to a safer place. Rubbing my temples one more time, I dropped the magic surrounding my Tribe mates, freeing them, and turned to the wolves. "Well, that messes up our plans considerably. Now, while you may not know of us, we've studied your kind extensively. We are aware that you may not harm a packmates imprint, nor their family. Unfortunately, we follow the same laws. Something you should know, however, is that I have found my mate in one of the Vampires. I think you know what that means."

Jake's eyes narrowed, though the rest of him was stationary, I could interpret it well enough.

"Don't give me that look. I have no power over fate's design. Now you wolves are going to leave here, nice and peaceful, so the vamps and I can have a little chat." I dropped the spell surrounding them. The youngest wolves fled quickly, where the older and larger wolves did their best to maintain dignity.

Once they were gone, I turned to the vampires, neigh on sheepish, and dropped the spell encasing them. At first I thought it didn't work, as they still stood frozen, until the doctor took a hesitant step forward. "I may have come in late, and please correct me if I am wrong, but am I to assume that you and your people are not our enemies?" His voice seemed kind, despite everything that had occurred.

I grinned a bit and nodded. "Yes, we have every intention or being friendly with your family. I'm sorry for all of that, by the way."

"Unorthodox as it may have been, I believe we should be thanking you. If not for your interference, the better part of our family would probably be gone." The bronze haired boy said, smiling a bit, though I missed it as my eyes flicked to Alice's and I had a hard time trying to tear them away.

Rafael came up beside me, saving me from the trap of her beautiful face. "Excuse our Alpha, her manners leave something to be desired." I elbowed him in the ribs, but he didn't pause. "Introductions are in order, I believe." He cocked his head to the side, waiting.

"Of course." The doctor said. "My name is Carlisle Cullen. This is my wife, Esme." He gestured to the heart faced woman. "And our children, Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice." The large one, Emmett, seemed to be bubbling with excitement, but that would have to wait.

I stepped forward to grasp and shake Carlisle's icy hand. "It's nice to finally meet you all. My name is Bella Ravensage of the Askari." Carlisle's eyes widened with shock, apparently recognizing the name. "This is my Tribe. The forward one here is my second, Rafael. The girl who went off with one of the wolves is Holly. The twins are Archer and Aria even though they don't much look it, and the pale one is Birch. We can explain the spirits later, that will take some telling."

"Fair enough. I think we have a lot of telling to do too, actually. Did you say you were Hunters? Hunters of Askari?"

I grinned. "I did. I'm actually heir to the clan. Well, former heir anyways, but that's also quite a story."

"Perhaps you'd consider telling it to us sometime. I do hope that, as Hunters, you aren't here to kill us?" He cocked his head to the side, generally curious. The large one, Emmett, scoffed, but Carlisle turned to him. "Emmett, I'm serious. This one girl could kill all six of us as easily as lifting a finger."

"No offense, but I find that hard to believe. That bit of magic was impressive, but everyone has their limits, and you caught us by surprise. Not only that, but when you have to vocalize magic that gives us all the forewarning we need."

"Oh?" I asked, raising one eyebrow, and simultaneously freezing him in place. "A good thought process, I'll admit, but uninformed. We don't need to vocalize spells at all, it just makes them more powerful. I probably wouldn't have needed to vocalize earlier, but with so many supernaturals, I wanted to be safe rather than sorry."

"How would you dispatch us though? Your blades would have no effect on our skin." Edward asked, as genuinely curious as Carlisle.

"True. But this," I held out my palm, a small rotating flame appearing to hover an inch above it's surface, "would." I quickly clenched my fist, smothering the flame and freeing Emmett.

"Impressive, but I'm still gonna work on it." He grinned, not phased at all.

I laughed at his jovial personality. "But we're not here to intimidate you, I promise. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here."

"Yes, I do believe you said something about a mate?" Emmett said, eye brows wiggling. "Who is it, Hunter? Sorry to say I'm off the table, but Jazz and Eddie Boy here are still up for grabs. Which is it?"

I raised one eye brow, anticipating a hundred different reactions, heart pumping though my magic prevented them from hearing it, as I turned to my pixie. "I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you in the woods earlier. It wasn't the right time."

Her eyes widened, along with the rest of their families. "It was you? I _knew_ I felt something! My siblings were convinced I was going crazy." She looked at me in a new light, contemplating.

"Just as crazy as the rest of us." I grinned. "So, um, I don't really know if-"

She reached out and grabbed my hand, voice bubbly and countenance light. "We should probably go somewhere private to talk. I have tons of questions!"

I blinked, a mixture of delighted and confused. "Sure thing. Loki, you coming?"

"No, I think I'll stay here to help educate the Cullens." He spoke out loud, once again earning shocked stares from the vamps. I laughed and nodded as my pixie dragged me into the forest.

We had been walking no more than fifteen seconds in the woods before she began asking. "So where are you from, Bella?"

"All over the place. I've traveled more than anything for the past three years. Our Clan Camp is in northern Canada at the moment, but we've been everywhere from Alaska to Sweden since I was born."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen. And you?"

"I'm frozen at nineteen, but I was born in Biloxi, Missouri a little over ninety years ago." She looked at me as if this one fact would send me running.

"My grandma's older. She's two hundred and seventeen years old, though she still looks like she's twenty one. My great grandmother and great grandfather were killed in battle, but my great great great grandfather is still alive, he's four hundred and six years old."

Alice's jaw dropped. "He's even older than Carlisle!"

"We stop aging at the age of around twenty one, and freeze there from between three and four centuries, then it's another one or two centuries until we die. Not immortal, but close. We live dangerous lives though, it's uncommon or anyone to grow as old as he is."

"What _are_ you, exactly?" she asked, grinning.

"Ha, excellent question. Well, we go by the name 'Hunters,' because that's what we do. Our legends say that Gaia, our deity, made plants before anything else. They were simple beings and she made many of them. Before long they over grew one another and the Earth became unbalanced. Gaia created plant eaters to solve this, but had a similar problem. Meat eaters followed them, then humans. That was her biggest mistake. In a way, humans were her finest creation, and her worst. They were too perfect. They turned away from her power to make their own, and since then Gaia's strength has diminished because they are systematically destroying her."

"That's awful." Alice murmured.

"Yes, well, here's where your kind comes into play. Gaia, power diminished, made a last ditch effort to salvage her planet. In one fell swoop she made Supernaturals of all kinds to monitor and police the humans, then us, Hunters, as the ultimate predator. We were given all the skills of the lower tiers, the abilities, the attributes. By this time, Gaia's power was all but gone. She lies dormant now, waiting until the earth falls back into balance and she can regain her strength.

"Long story short: We're the ultimate predators. We hunt down the cruel, the evil, the deranged and kill them, whether they be rabid animals, rapist humans, or sadistic vampires. We can cast spells, do magic, change our shape, we have the senses of a vampire. We can read minds in certain cases, scry the future, all sorts of things."

"That sounds like quite the burden."

"Not for most. We train our entire lives to use our gifts correctly. It only becomes a burden for those who are expected to lead, because we're always watched, the entire world expects us to be _right_ all the time. There is no margin for error." I said, voice slightly bitter.

"Hmm." She mulled this over. "Well Bella, there are so many things I'd like to know, but we haven't even known each other ten minutes. I don't want to be rude." She smiled.

"Nonsense." I laughed a bit, realizing the oddity of the current situation. "You know, all things considered, you and your family are handling this all very well. I'm worried I'll over load you and you run off into the woods, never to be seen again."

"Oh posh. No, I knew you would show up sooner or later, I've been having visions for months now."

"_Really?_" I asked, blindsided.

"Mhmm, as I'm sure you know, some vampires have gifts. Well, mine is foresight, even though it's fickle. My brother Edward can read minds and Jasper can manipulate emotions. Though you and your Tribe seem to be the exception to the rule. My visions of you are blurry and muddled, Edward can't get inside your heads, and when Jasper tried to gauge your intentions he might as well have been scanning a brick wall."

I shrugged. "Sorry about that, our magic prevents the gifts of most creatures."

Alice laughed. "I wish I had some of this magic, my brothers can get annoying."

I smiled. "Understandable. So, um, I don't want to spring this on you, and I'm sorry we had to meet this way, but I wanted to tell you about the, um, the-"

"Mate thing?" She asked, taking pity on me.

"Yeah. That." I deflated, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks.

"Tell me about it then. What is it, exactly? Like the wolves imprint?"

I nodded. "Yes. When I first saw you two weeks ago, we were scouting out the area, trying to get information on you and the shifters-"

Alice gasped. "Two weeks? On Tuesday? After school?"

I nodded, grinning a bit.

"I felt it. It was like a shiver, but not. I don't know."

"Yes. That was the formation of the bond. Ever since then it's been strengthening, for me and I'd wager for you too?"

Alice grimaced. "Yes. No offense, but it was awful."

"Like a pit in your chest, butterflies in you stomach, pent up everything in your body?" I asked, grimacing as well.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stay as close as I could to ease some of the pain, but it was never the time to reveal ourselves."

"Thank you for the effort. So anyways, you said it will strengthen? How so?"

"Well," I cleared my throat, blushing again. "Over time, we will begin to feel each others emotions. Eventually we'll be able to hear each others thoughts."

"That's pretty cool!" She grinned up at me.

I, on the other hand, just stared down at her, waiting for the catch. There had to be a catch.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just... well, you're taking all of this very well. I'm a bit confused. I had this whole speech thought up about not expecting anything from you and how sorry I was to spring it on you but you're just... rolling with the punches."

Alice laughed a tinkling sound that made my insides warm up. "Silly Bella, of course I am. I knew it would happen sooner or later. We'll just take it slow. Get to know each other for a bit then see where things go. Sound good?"

I grinned. "Perfect."

"And we can start with the basics! Favorite color?"

"Blue. You?"

"Yellow."

"Fitting. You seem like a bright, sunshiny person. What's your favorite hobby?"

"Art. I love painting and fashion, both designing and shopping." Oh lord. "How about you?"

"Archery, mostly. I practice spells and weave new ones whenever I have down time, but that's not often. More often than not my Tribe and I are out on missions or hunting for the Clan."

"What will you do now?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. We haven't discussed it much. Our main focus was at first hunting you all down, then protecting you, now I guess it's get to know you all."

"Will you be coming to school?" She asked, trying to keep her tone neutral, but part of our training had been in body language and I spotted her grimace.

"Not if we can help it. We already have the educational background that any human would receive, all the way up through college. There's no need. How many times have _you_ gone through high school?"

"Ugh. Too many."

We talked like that for hours and it wasn't long at all until we really did feel as if we had known each other a life time. Our bond made it so that we could draw inferences and make accurate assumptions, turning a few small details into a broad and vivid picture. I learned that her favorite animal to hunt was elk, that she was a freelance song writer, and that she didn't remember her human life at all. In turn I told her about my training, my accomplishments, how I raised my 'orphan' Tribe, and been abandoned by my Clan. It wasn't until the sun began to set that Alice decided we should head back, having had a vision that if we didn't get there soon my Tribe would track us down.

We had been walking all the while, circling the Cullen property again and again until the trail was a visible circuit by the time we cut off of it, angling back towards the house. We stepped out onto the broad lawn to find my Tribe and the Cullens lounging on the front porch, laughing and talking.

"You've never seen a Hellion Bear, it could give even you a run for the money Emmett, Vampire strength and all. I thought I was done for but then- Bella!" Rafael, having spotted us, stood along with the rest of my Tribe. It was a stupid custom that Hunters were supposed to display whenever their Alpha showed up, but I didn't argue against it this time. "Bout time you guys got back."

Emmett sniffed and pouted. "What? No sex? Dammit!" He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, slapping it into Raf's awaiting hand.

Amidst my blush and Alice's apologizing for her brother, Aria explained. "The boys had a bet going on. The Cullen boys were steadfast in favor of debauchery, but we know you too well."

"Thanks, snowflake." I grabbed her in a head lock, then proceeded to muss up her hair. "Now is that a compliment or an insult?"

She wiggled out of my hold, laughing along with the others. "Don't worry, there's still Holly. Care to put up any money? Me, Archer, and Birch say it's going down, but Raf and Edward say Seth is a 'pure spirit.' Pssh." Aria rolled her eyes.

"I'm not putting any money up against Holly's V-card, thanks. I'd rather not think about that. She knows where the house is, if she's not back by tomorrow morning, we'll track her down. Until then, let her have her fun." I shrugged.

The Cullens looked amused at our banter. Esme spoke, asking "Would you all like anything to eat? We keep a full fridge here for appearances sake, I'd be happy to throw something together."

My Tribe turned to me for the decision and my cheeks flushed. They knew I never wanted the leadership, but they insisted. "We don't want to impose..."

"Nonsense! If you're Alice's mate then you're part of the family now, no imposition whatsoever. Come on inside. The kids can give you the tour while I get some food in your stomachs."

"That'd be great, thanks Esme." I smiled as my Tribe jumped up, hollering. "I'm warning you now though, we're all voracious eaters. The magic in our systems revs up our metabolism."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, I've got it covered."

Walking into the house wasn't quite what I had expected. It was very... open. And white. Not that I had been expecting coffins and cobwebs, but this didn't seem quite right either. It was so pure.

"Is it what you expected?" Alice asked, looking up at me.

I looked deep into her honey bright eyes as we walked up the stairs, wondering if there was an edge to the question. "No. But then again, your family has been the exact opposite of everything we expected to find so far. I suppose in that sense then, it was."

"Pretty speech." Rosalie muttered sarcastically, venom in her words, and causing us to halt.

My eyes widened, unsure how to respond to such open hostility, but Alice intervened before I made up my mind. "No need to be an ass, Rose. Never mock words from the heart, or the only thing anyone will ever tell you is lies."

"Ha! Two peas in a pod." She scoffed, stalking off.

"Did I do something?" I looked down at my pixie, worried.

"Not at all. Rose is just overprotective of our family. That's how she keeps 'threats' away, by bitching them out."

"Alice!" Esme scolded from the kitchen.

"Sorry Mom, but it's true and everyone knows it." Turning back to me, she said "She'll warm up to you eventually, whether she likes it or not."

"I hope so. I'd hate for my Tribe and I to cause any more conflict than we already have."

"On the contrary, I think the way this situation has played out will be for the better." Carlisle said from the living room couch.

"How so?" Alice asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Well it's against our family morals to attack a soul mate or their family, and it's against wolf law to attack anothers imprint or their family. Perhaps this will mean an end to hostilities with the Quileutes."

"One can only hope. It'd be nice to be able go surfing down at La Push every now and then." Emmett said, wistfully. "Not that I'd bet on that, knowing Jake and Sam." He rolled his eyes and I grimaced. That made sense.

"You're not even allowed on their land?" I asked, Alice and I walking down the stairs to better join in the conversation. My Tribe had settled as well, either on the floor or lounging against the walls. It was considered bad manners to partake in the luxuries of anothers home without explicit invitation. This was a necessary precaution most of the time, because many homes were bewitched to ward off intruders. Within a Clan it's not as important, and certainly not with the Cullens, but it was a habit.

Edward gestured for Carlisle to speak and he did. "This is not our first time living in Forks. The first time was two generations ago, when the current wolves grandfathers were living at La Push. When we moved in, the gene that had been been absent for nigh on a centruy kicked in. At first there were more of us than there were of then, and that coupled with the fact that we did not hunt humans meant that we were able to form a treaty with the wolves. They may come and go in town as is necessary, but we may not enter their land. Also, if we kill a human or change a human the treaty is broken and they will attack."

"So what, they see themselves as some kind of vigilante protectors? How silly. That's our job." Aria said, laughing and the rest of us joined in.

"That may be true, but they didn't know you existed. Even I, old as I am, have only heard of your kind in legends and rumors. Why is that, might I ask?"

"Well, we like to keep a low profile. We don't cause trouble, far from it. We're no Volturi, to make a spectacle out of upholding the law. If we have to kill, no one hears about it. I doubt I need to explain why." I shrugged. This was a much kinder way of saying there were no survivors.

"I should think not." Carlisle said, looking at us in a new light. "I have to say, you all seem very young for the amount of responsibility placed on your shoulders. At what age does your kind usually begin... well, Hunting?"

"Typically, age three is when we get our first weapons. Just small wooden swords, but it is one of the biggest ceremonies in the Clan. Each member of the child's family and each member of the Royal family, the leaders of the Clan, contribute some small detail, whether it be cutting the wood, carving it, or adding designs. Each sword is unique and reflects not only heritage but the honors that have been bestowed upon a family for past deeds. It's not only a commencement ceremony, but also shows the child every day what they're expected to live up to.

"From that day until the child is five years old they are expected to play fight with their age mates. Men and Women from the Clan teach the children moves, share little bits of knowledge, every day. Its a constant stream of information and training, it never really stops, except during sleep. At five years old children are taught wilderness survival, how to hunt animals, coupling this with fighting and sparring, and they train in this for yet another two years. At seven years old the children are sent out into the woods at dawn and expected to return in a whole days cycle alive and with a kill of some sort. This is the first test." I had to ignore the looks of horror on most of the Cullen's faces, that our culture requires seven year olds to kill and spend an entire night alone in the woods. It's the way things were done.

"Those who return with the biggest kill are given the highest honor, bring honor to not only their name but their families as well. The three children with the smallest kills are considered to have failed the test and are trained for another year. Those who pass move on to formal training, which includes training with real weapons, learning spell craft, and how to hunt supernaturals. They train in this for eight years, until they are fifteen. Then comes the second test. They must go out alone and Hunt a supernatural creature, anything, and bring it back within one month. Those who are killed are considered dead to the Clan. They receive no burial, no ceremony, nothing. They are forgotten. Those who succeed come back to the Clan as Hunters in full. A ceremony is performed and our Spirit Companions are drawn from our souls to assist us and guide us. Our young are then placed in Tribes and begin going on low ranking missions. When they turn twenty one, and stop aging, they are tested as a Tribe. They are given a near impossible mission which are so widely varied it's impossible to give accurate consistent examples. The Tribes who return are given the right to leave for one year and seek out their mate, to settle down, and begin a family."

"That seems... very harsh." Edward said, brow furrowed. "Are survival rates... well, you know?"

Rafael grinned cynically. "They're not as bad as you might think. And yes, it is harsh, but it has to be. It's our job, our lot in life, to be able to kill any number of adversaries at any given time in any given place, to do it quick and effectively, and to keep a low profile. If we started any later than we do, trained any less, we wouldn't make it. Right now maybe five die a year out of twenty, I shudder to think how many we would lose if we did things any differently."

"Granted that statistic counts the Orphans." Birch muttered bitterly.

Alice looked at me from the corner of her eye, but the rest of the Cullens seemed confused. Rafael answered for me, saying "During the second phase of training those who can't keep up are abandoned. The tribe chases them off, saying it's more merciful to give them a chance at life as hermit than for them to end up on the wrong side of our Prey. It's a perverse kind of Darwinism, that the strong are left to flourish while the weak die off. All of us save Bella were Orphans, but she took us under her wing and trained us in secret so that we could come back and show the tribe we weren't hopeless. She brought us food and clothes and supplies. She trained herself to function on three hours of sleep so that she could have her lessons during the day and give us ours by night."

Birch took over Rafael's mortifying speech, as I sat there trying to cover as much of my blushing face as I could with my hair. "Not only that, and I'm sure Bella is far too shy to tell you this herself, but she's a bit odd herself even for a Hunter. She was born with more magic than most, more power. She learned faster than the others, hunted better, had better senses, better instinct. Better everything. She could have been a prodigy, an idol, but instead of basking in the glow she used her gifts to help us train. She was much better at it than our mentors had been, too. So when we came back into the Clan, we were able to use our magic to ward off the arrows they shot at us with a spell only Bella knew, seeing as she has the uncommon gift to weave new ones. We were able to fend off the swords of the attacking men with our own, in ways they weren't prepared for because we had made the forms ourselves."

"In the end, we were no longer considered orphans." Archer said, grimacing. "Our names were scratched off the list of fatalities, and we were welcomed back by our families. But we didn't go. How could we? They left us for dead. No, ever since then Bella is our leader, not Haebus, her father and the Askari. We lost faith in them the same day they lost faith in us. That's why we left so readily when Bella left."

"And why was that? I'm sorry if I'm prying, but-" Alice asked, but I was quick to cut her off.

"No of course not. You're fine. I left because while on the outside the Clan welcomed my Tribe with open arms, my family, the Royals and many of the Nobles were furious that I had taught clan secrets to outcasts. Not that they ever said it to my face, but I had my ways of finding out. I have a little brother, Milo, but he's only twelve. He's also hopeless. If he wasn't in the Royal family he'd be an outcast, too. I've been furious about the hypocrisy for years, and to top it all off, I was the one they tried to get rid of instead of him. Not that I wanted to lead, I never have, but they're no family to me. They sent us here to kill off your family and the Shifters, thinking we would end up dead in the process, and bada bing their problems would be solved! So we left."

"Why didn't you kill us? You could have. Easily. You proved that today. Didn't your family know this?"

"No, they don't know the extent of our skills. We kept them hidden for the most part so we wouldn't be targets of an assassination or anything like that. Our long term plan was to leave once we turned twenty-one, just never come back. As to why we didn't kill you, well, we didn't think you needed killing. Like I said, they thought you would take us out, not the other way around. You've done nothing wrong that would warrant our interference."

"Food's ready!" Esme said, waving us into the kitchen and breaking the tense atmosphere. The Cullens discussed what we had said in quiet tones while we followed Esme. Alice stayed at my side as we entered and our jaws dropped. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I made a bit of everything!"

There were burgers and hotdogs, pasta, salad, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, roast and ham, fries and chips with dip, sandwiches of all kinds, macaroni and cheese, BBQ chicken, and even grilled fish. "I've died and gone to heaven." Rafael whispered as he sat down and started piling food on his plate. I couldn't but agree. I was going to like it here.

**A/N: Well, here you go, Chapter 3! Review and I'll give you virtual tacos. Admittedly not as good as real tacos, but better than no tacos at all! 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here we go, Chapter 4! Woot woot! Hope you guys like it. Sorry in advance for any errors, I don't have a beta and I didn't read through this too carefully so... ENJOY!**

"I've died and gone to heaven." Rafael whispered as he sat down and started piling food on his plate.

"I'll second that." Archer said through a mouthful of food. "Jeez Esme, who taught you how to cook like this? This is better than I've ever had, even better than the Season Feasts!"

"Season feasts?" Alice asked, as Esme was too bus beaming to ask herself.

"At the end of every season we have a feast of the delicacies that can be found during said season, to bid farewell and to welcome the one incoming. For example in summer we would eat dishes made with watercress, mints, lotus, cattails, all kinds of berries, wild raisins, rice, and onions, honeysuckle, sorrels, clovers, thistles, sunflowers, brambles, things like that."

Alice's eyes raised. "Wow. Did you eat normal human food too?"

"Yes, but not as often. On missions we would eat like normal humans do so as to appear normal when we had to travel through densely populated areas. But when we were home it was our job to hunt and gather. There just aren't enough mini-marts out in the middle of northern Canada." I grinned, and she laughed.

"Alice, let the girl eat! You can ask your questions when you're done. If she doesn't get started it'll all be gone." Esme joked, eyes shining with laughter at the antics of her daughter and my Tribe, who continued to stuff their faces unperturbed.

"Oh! Sorry." Alice looked startled, not having realized that I had yet to eat.

"Nah, it's cool. I'll eat fast." And boy did I. Esme was one hell of a cook. I tried a bit of everything and between the five of us we managed to clear the entire table.

"Holly's gonna be _pissed_ that she missed this." Aria said, rubbing her stomach, the epitome of content. "Food coma, here I come."

I looked out the door to see the sun had set, and the sky held on to it's last vestiges of color. "We should probably get home before you all pass out." I said, grimacing at the thought of leaving Alice now that we had finally met.

"Will you be back tomorrow?" Alice asked, hopeful.

"If you'll have us. Don't you have school?" I asked, frowning, but she just grinned and shook her head.

"Nope! It's gonna be sunny, so we're going 'camping'"

"Ah, I see." I grinned. She had told me about how her family ditched school whenever the sun was out, so as not to give themselves away. "Well in that case, sure. As long as Holly is back and we don't need to go searching for her, I'll be over first thing."

"What about you guys?" Emmett asked the rest of my Tribe. "I believe I did agree to kick at least three of your asses in Halo?"

"We'll be there." The boys said, grinning.

"Where _do_ you live, out of curiosity?" Esme asked, wiping her hands, having just finished the dishes.

"We bought the rustic lumber manor, halfway between here and the Rez." I said matter-of-factly.

Esme's eyes bugged and she gasped. "Oh, that one is lovely. You know I considered purchasing it and redoing as a little pet project."

I laughed at her bizarre statement. "Pet project? We could have all six of us gone to human college for how much that house cost."

"Did Alice neglect to tell you that we were loaded?" Emmett said. He scoffed, "We have our own island, so yes, pet project is the best way to put it."

"I just didn't want to brag or anything!" Alice defended herself, and managed to look adorable in doing so.

"It's fine. The Askari have money to spend as well. Anyway, Esme, if you ever want to come over and have a look around you're welcome to." I grinned as Esme's face lit up.

"I might just have to take you up on that!"

I laughed. "Well anyways, thanks for feeding us, and it was nice to finally meet you all!"

"Bye everyone!" Alice said. "Bye Bella," she swooped up, placed a light kiss on my cheek, just as my Tribe pulled me out the door. I was too stunned to say bye until the door had shut, but I knew she could still hear my choked whisper.

"Come on, lover girl." Aria said, dragging me along my the wrist.

As it turned out, Holly was not at home, but by the time we woke up she was, and she was on cloud nine. She firmly insisted that she and Seth had _not_ had sex, so other others taunted her for doing everything but. She was ravenous for breakfast, so I made the others hold off on their questions until she was done.

"So what are the Shifters like?" Rafael asked. "Are they as savage as humans as they seemed as wolves?"

"Not at all. They're like one big family, really. Jake was a bit jumpy the rest of the day and some of the older wolves were pretty deep in their thoughts, but besides that everything was normal. Bella, you better watch your back, Jake's not a happy camper," she joked, smilling.

"He shouldn't have tried to attack my mate." I grumbled. "What did they say about the Cullens? Seeing as I basically imprinted on Alice and Seth imprinted on you, we're all tied together now."

"They definitely weren't happy about it, that's for sure. Some of them have resigned to changing times, but some are still trying to find a way to wiggle out of it. Their hatred of vampires is ingrained, and deep, but I can see that they're wrong from what I've seen in our mind link. As soon as my mate bond is strong enough that Seth and I's minds meld together, I can show them too."

"Let's hope that day comes soon. Think about it, Vampires, Shifters, and Hunters all under one roof? That's a force to be reckoned with alright."

"You think the Volturi will try to step in?" Rafael asked.

"I don't see how they could find out. I mean, the wolves probably have no clue who they are and I sure hope none of us or the Cullens would be dumb enough to inform them." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Bella, I was wondering, do you suppose this Carlisle is the same Carlisle who was a member of the Volturi all those years ago?" Rafael asked.

I had wondered the same thing myself. The history of all the species we were supposed to be able to kill had been a dull study subject, one none of us really retained as well as other more exciting topics. I knew a vampire named Carlisle had once been among their ranks and left after a period of time, but I didn't remember anything about him. I shrugged. "Could be. We can ask him later. Holly do you have plans with Seth today?"

She grinned and nodded. "Yeah, we were gonna go surfing. He wants to meet you all though, and so do some of the more laid back wolves. Can you swing by the Rez sometime later?"

"We'll do our best to pry her away from her Lady Vamp, I promise." Rafael said, putting both Holly and I in a surprise headlock.

"Cool." She said, wiggling out like she always did, being as small as she was. I on the other hand had to wait for Raf's mercy.

"Come on Raf, knock it off! I swear to Gaia, I will singe your arm." I grumbled, pushing against his grip.

"Oh, feisty. Pining for Alice, maybe? We better get going before she burns the whole house down. See ya later Holly! Let us know when you want us!"

Holly was laughing as she waved us off.

We decided to drive the truck to the Cullen's house today, as the Companions claimed they would be going with Holly down to the Rez, to spend some time with the resident spirits there. Apparently they were great conversationalists, and who was I to say any differently? They must have heard the roar of the engine from a mile away because by the time the big house came into view they were all waiting out on the front porch, sparkling in the sun. Aria and I hopped out of the cab while the guys jumped out of the truck bed.

"Bout time you got here!" Alice said, blurring towards be and wrapping me in a tight hug.

I grinned despite still being sour over Raf's roughhousing. "Sorry, short stuff. We were talking with Holly. Turns out some of the wolves are coming over to our team."

"Oh, is that so?" Emmett laughed. "I thought there was only one girl wolf in La Push?"

I blushed. "I meant Team _Vampire, _not team _No, You Can't Watch_."

"Clever, I'll admit." Emmett said, still grinning.

"What can I say? It's a gift." I shrugged as we were led inside. The boys immediately sat down to play Halo, one team in one room and another in the dining room where a second TV had been set up, so my three boys and the Cullen could all play via WIFI. Aria, Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie spectated while Alice led me upstairs.

"Our tour got interrupted yesterday, so I'll give you one today." We peaked in the rooms of her family members, Carlisle's study, Esme's studio, then finally Alice's room. It was stunning. Her walls were painted a light yellow and her furniture was all made of dark stained wood. One wall was mostly window and looked out over the creek flowing behind the house. But that wasn't the wall that captivated me the most. It was the other three. They were adorned with paintings, covering nearly every square inch of wall space, some paint, some watercolor, some charcoal, and all hand drawn originals. I saw everything from landscapes to fashion designs to people, creatures and buildings, abstract and some just splatter painted.

"Wow, Alice. Did you paint all of these?"

"Mhmm. Do you like them?" She asked, eager.

"Like. No. I _love_ them. This are... amazing. You could sell these, you know. You could be famous." I said, knowing that in reality she couldn't.

"You know that's impossible. Immortals can't make a name for themselves."

I sighed. "I know. It's still a shame." One painting in particular caught my eye. The brush strokes were heavy and erratic, the paint was blurred and swirled on the canvas. There was a peach colored blob and a brown colored blob, and some random colors around it, then in the middle, the only clear feature, was a pair eyes. They were painted with excruciating detail, a thousand shades of brown. Chocolate brown. I looked back at Alice, one eyebrow raised.

"I know. I stared at it all night last night. It was my first vision of you."

"How do you know it was me?"

"Who else could it be? Those are clearly mortal eyes, and no mortal could have captivated me as you could." Her voice was low and filled with enough emotion that my breath caught in my throat.

I turned to her and smiled. "I don't know what to say. I'm honored."

She beamed a smile that I was quickly growing to love and stepped towards me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "I'm glad. I'm honored that you chose me to be your mate."

"It wasn't much of a choice." I said, as our lips drew closer, as if magnetized. "There was no competition."

Our lips met in the middle and an electric shock ran through my body, hot and cold at the same time, making my nerves tingle, every single one of them. My Hunter's instincts screamed danger, that this was a foe, but that was just my training. My mind, my body, and my heart were screaming for more, loving the sense of taboo, not just that we were both decidedly feminine but also the glorious irony of a predator-prey scenario so twisted I had been trying not to think about it. I gasped just as Alice did, and deepened the kiss.

_Oh god..._ The thoughts were not my own, yet they were in my head. It was not a voice I was used to, far more musical and laced with the exact same euphoria I was feeling as well. Our kiss was cut short by surprise as we both pulled back.

_Alice?_ I asked, jaw dropping.

_Wow._ Was all she said.

_How is this happening so quickly? It should have taken nearly a month before the bond had grown strong enough for us to breech one anothers mind._ There was no filter, I realized, and Alice smiled.

_Maybe it's something to do with me being a vampire, or you being an exceptional Hunter._

_ I don't know. Or maybe it had something to do with you being an exceptional kisser._ I didn't exactly mean for that last bit to slip out, but it made it through before I could censor it. I blushed but Alice beamed.

_Is that so?_

_Oh buddy. This lack of filter is gonna get me in a lot of trouble. _I grinned a lopsided grin.

_Really now? Are you trying to tell me my Bella is a but more salacious than she lets on?_

A trill of pleasure flared in my spine. _As long as I'm 'Your Bella,' I can be anything you want me to be._

She leaned in for another kiss and for a while no words passed in out link, just mutual emotions of excitement, lust, and even love.

"Wow. This mate bond is powerful stuff." Alice said, eyes lidded.

"You're telling me." I gasped. At least she didn't have to breath on a regular basis.

"Hey Alice!" Emmett yelled up the stairs, certainly for my benefit. "If your done giving Bella the 'tour,' Esme made lunch and it's gonna be gone before she gets down here if you don't detach your lips like, now!" I blushed furiously and Alice sighed.

"You'll get used to him." She said, leading me downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen amid hoots, hollers, and cat calls from my Tribe, and of course Emmett. "So Bella! Did you like the tour. You obviously made it to the second bas- I mean floor. When's Alice showing you the third?" He and my Tribe laughed, but they were laughing even harder after Alice chucked an apple at his head, which splattered everywhere, basically turning to applesauce against his marble skin. To top it all off Rosalie came storming in, eyes ablaze.

"Mary Alice Brandon Cullen! You have no idea who long it took me to find that shirt for him, we went to _twelve_ boutiques in Paris to get just the right fit!" She seethed, advancing on Alice.

I tensed, reaching for my magic, but Alice calmed me down. _Don't worry, she's only being Rose. _"Oh, shut up Rose. I can get you five of those and not even leave the house. It's called eBay. Look, I'll make it up to you. Shopping trip tomorrow?"

Rose grumbled, but I made out the hissed word, "Fine," before she disappeared from view, dragging her husband by his soiled shirt collar.

We had just finished eating when I felt Holly brush against my mind.

_Holly?_

_ Heyy Bella. So if you guys wanna- Alice? _Her mind's voice cut short as she recognized the vampire's presence.

_Hey Holly! _Alice's voice was just as chipper in her mind as out loud and I laughed.

_Wow, that was quick. Anyways, do you guys wanna come down to the beach and meet the cool wolves? Some of these dicks won't have anything to do with me, still have their heads up their asses, but some of the others are pretty awesome, they're looking forward to meeting you. Oh, um, sorry Alice, but I still don't think they'd let your family on the Rez._

_ It's no big deal._ Alice said, mentally rolling her eyes. _We're used to it. I hope we can all get together eventually though, I'd like to get to know all of Bella's family better!_

_ Same to you. _Holly said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. _Anyway, see you soon Bella! Tell the other vamps I say hi too, and I hope to meet them soon._

_ Can do._ I said, then severed the link.

My Tribe was looking at me quizzically. "Holly just contacted me. She's ready if you guys wanna go. Also," I said, turning my attention to the vampires, "She says she's sorry for not being around, and she's looking forward to meeting you all."

"Tell her it's no problem at all, and we're looking forward to it as well." Esme said, smiling.

"You're leaving?" Carlisle asked.

"Mhmm, going to visit the _other_ in laws." Aria said, grinning.

"Is the pack just going to allow it?" Jasper asked.

"Holly said that some of the wolves were really looking forward to it." Alice answered.

My Tribe looked confused, then a realization dawned on them. "Damn Bella!" Raf said, laughing. "You have to show _everyone _up?"

I grumbled and walked out of the house, holding Alice by the wrist. Out on the porch she turned to me, stood up on her tip toes, and planted a sweet kiss on my lips. "I'll miss you."

"I'll be back soon. Promise." I said, kissing her back.

"Okay, break it up. Holly and Seth are probably going to be all over each other too, and I'm trying to preserve my innocent eyes." Raf said, following us out, pulling me by the soldier. Alice growled at the intrusion, eyes black and vampire instincts taking over.

I calmed her with a thought and retorted to Raf by saying, "Innocent? Remind me, who was it that got us kicked out of that hotel in Reno for trashing their entire web system with some killer porn virus?"

Rafael blushed, muttered, and walked off towards the car. "There. That'll teach him." I said grinning, and turned back to Alice, giving her one last kiss. "Bye cutie. I'm not sure how far out the Mate bond will work, but I might be able to talk with you on the Rez still."

She grinned. "I hope so. Bye yourself."

It felt like tearing duct tape off my skin, leaving her. Walking towards the truck was painful, especially with my Tribe practically dragging me. I could feel Alice's humor as she watched from the porch, and I cast her one more disdainful glance over the shoulder before I was thrown into the drivers seat and handed the keys. Ugh.

The drive to La Push was probably a lot longer than it should have been. By the time we arrived my mood was as sour as could be.

_We're still together, technically. It'll be okay, it's only for a few hours. _Alice said, trying to be positive, but I could tell the distance was a strain, even for her.

_We may be together, but you're not _here_, and that's where you should be. I'm gonna nullify this stupid treaty even if I need to cast spells on every single one of these wolves to do it. This is ridiculous._

I felt Alice's amusement though she didn't respond with words.

"Okay, if we're supposed to meet them at the beach, um... Let me see. Carlisle said that the main road should take us there." Aria said, looking out the windows. "Oh! There they are." I looked out the window to where she pointed and saw that the road did indeed wind down towards the ocean, and on the rocky beach stood a group of people huddled around the fire. It wasn't hard to pick out our redheaded, pale-skinned hunter among the natives.

The truck's roar had announced our arrival and they were all turned towards us by the time we got out. Holly ran over to us, Seth trailing close behind, watching her like a mother wolf and her pup. Ha ha. Get it? Wolf?

_You're hilarious. _Alice said, mentally rolling her eyes.

_Quiet down, you. I'm in a bad mood._

Alice flashed me an image of our imaginary reunion, us cuddled up on the couch watching some cheesy movie.

_Hmm._ I hummed with satisfaction and went to greet the wolves.

"Hey guys!" Holly said. Our companions materialized as well, all trotting over to greet their respective other half. "'Bout time you got here."

"Sorry, Hols." Archer said, laughing. "We had to drag Bellsy here away from her lady lover."

"Dragging being the literal sense of the word." Aria said, grinning.

And there went my mood. "Yeah, yeah, words. So Seth, it's nice to finally meet you. I'd say we've heard a lot about you, but we haven't seen a lot of Holly lately." I grinned.

The kid looked nice enough, still boyish, still had his baby-cute look. He must have been one of the most recent wolves to change. He smiled, saying, "Sorry, that'd be my fault. It's nice to meet you, who I _have_ heard a bit about. You wanna meet the pack too? Get everyone all comfy-cozy?"

"Sounds good." I said, nodding.

Seth introduced us to four other wolves, overall, who weren't hell bent on our destruction. His sister Leah was first. She seemed a bit bitter, though over what I wasn't sure. There was Quill and Embry, and then Jared, who was the only older wolf who was willing to meet with us.

When asked why, he said, "I guess I'm just the only one who doesn't have my head up my ass. I wasn't sour after your little display the other day, I was humbled. I really don't see any _good_ reason to make someone like you an enemy. Especially when you have all the leeches on your side."

I laughed. "So, it's all strategy?"

He weighed that question for a bit before answering. "Yes and no. That's definitely a part of it. I don't know, I guess I've just been thinking a lot about it and I figure maybe the Cullens really aren't as bad as our ancestors portrayed them."

"Some vampires are." I deadpanned. "Two years ago my Tribe and I were sent on a mission to take out a coven who took pleasure in disemboweling their victims slowly, while they still lived, before they drank their blood. Those vampires, who go beyond the needs of their diet, are evil. The difference is distinguishing the sadistic from the good. I'm not sure how your pack mates can make any connections between those kinds of vampires and the Cullens."

Jared held up his hands in defense. "You're barking up the wrong tree, here. I agree."

"Maybe just pass the message along?" I asked, grinning.

"Now that I can do."

The rest of the evening was pretty chill. We cooked out, and my Tribe took heart in the fact that the wolves ate just as much as we did. We shared legends, where they told of their stories of the cold ones and the first wolf, and we spoke of our ancestors feats in battle, and some of our own.

"You mean there's _actually _dragons? Like real, legitimate _dragons_?" Quil asked, eyes wide.

I grinned and nodded. "Yeah. There's a different species for every mountain range. There may even be a flock near here, we haven't had the time to check yet." I shrugged.

"You hunt _dragons_?" Quill asked, still awestruck.

"Oh, gods no! We don't hunt them. We work to relocate them when they get too close to humans, or vice versa. Dragons are an ancient species, and an endangered one at that. They've got just as much magic in them as we do, it'd be a completely fair fight anyways, unlike most. No, they're just as intelligent as we are, many of them more so. Excellent conversationalists if you can track them down." I laughed at their faces, features twice as large with astonishment.

"No, you've got to be joking. Prove it!" Embry said, scoffing.

I turned to Rafael, and he rolled his eyes, knowing what I would ask. He turned and took off his shirt, showing his back to our audience. The upper right hand side was marbled and pitted with one large scar. "This is what it looks like when you get too close to a hatchling dragon's kill. Little tyke had just learned to fly, his mother was out hunting, and he killed one of the local rancher's cows. Bella, Archer, and Birch were trying to find the mother, Aria and Holly were trying to hold off the farmer who had been nearby and heard the cows bleats. Guess who's job it was to move the dragon?"

"Wow." Seth said, clearly impressed. "That's one helluva battle scar."

"Surely you all have your fair share? How many vampires do you get through this area in a year?" Rafael asked.

"No more than a dozen," Jared said. "But to be honest most of them get off our land before we can get to them. Not only that but we heal too quickly for scars to be long lasting." He shrugged.

"I'd say bummer but that seems just as much a boon as a hindrance." Rafael smirked, putting his shirt back on and sitting back down.

"Man, your guy's job is so much cooler." Embry said, laughing.

"Dude, we turn into wolves! Whenever we want! How is that uncool?" Quill asked his friend.

"I'd rather be a dragon slayer." Embry grumbled.

"I wanted to be a dragon slayer when I was younger too, until I took an arrow to the knee." Birch said, rolling his eyes. (**Yes, that just happened.**)

"What happened?" Leah asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I went out on my own to find one when I was eleven, figuring that all that treasure would bring honor to my family. But when I finally found one, a dragon named Thorskir, I had my arrow trained right on the eye socket and let it go, the damn lizard wove a spell to send it rebounding back at me. It hit me in the knee, shattering my knee cap. I was only eleven so he took pity on me, saying that if I apologized for attempting to slay him he would not only refrain from eating me, but heal my leg as well. It wasn't a hard choice. And we've been friends ever since."

"Really?" Leah asked, obviously looking for sarcasm.

"He's telling the truth. Thorskir lives atop Castle Mountain in Canada, we visit him whenever we have spare time." I said, grinning. "We usually try to go in the spring because he'll have his mate, Abettia, with him and usually some hatchlings."

Jared shook his head slowly. "Damn. Who woulda thunk it. Dragons, huh?" He grinned and we laughed along with him. "The other guys are really missing out." He shook his head in wonderment.

"Yeah, well. You know, if you guys could help us out, I'm sure there's nothing any of us want more than peace. Not to be a pageant queen, or anything. Just, well, the Cullens really aren't like what your legends depict Cold Ones as. They may be vampires, but they're not _those_ vampires. From one Hunter to another, tell Sam that if he ever wants to know what _those_ vampires do, I'd be happy to talk with him."

Jared nodded, solemn. "I will, Bella."

"Cool. Well, we better get going. I'm already getting hungry again and you guys are out of food."

"Translation: If she doesn't see her vampire again in the next ten minutes she'll probably spontaneously explode." Rafael said, winking and dodging my punch. "See ya, guys. It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, same here man." Jared said, as they reached forward to grasp one another by the forearm in a manlier version of a handshake. Farewells were spread around, along with one particularly gushy one from Seth and Holly, and we were off.

On the way back to the truck a tossed Holly the keys. She nodded, a knowing look in her eyes, and led the others off.

"Loki?" I asked, looking around.

"I'm here, pup." He said, materializing beside me in solid wolf form. I grinned and jumped onto his back. "You made it a solid seven hours without Alice. I'm proud."

"Let's not draw it out any longer." I grumbled as he began to run.

**A/N: So, did you like it? Review and you'll be my bestest friend! 3**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter five, fresh and hot out of the oven! Best served with salt and butter, an ice cold soda, and a warm blanket. Enjoy!**

Alice was waiting for me on the porch when we finally arrived at the Cullen house, just as she had been when I left.

"Hey, Cutie. Have you been there this whole time?" I asked, approaching.

She grinned. "No, I went and hunted almost as soon as you left. As soon as I couldn't hear your trucks engine anymore. Out of curiosity, if your family has enough money to buy the house that you did, why not buy a better car?"

I shrugged. "We didn't want to stick out any more than we had to. Six kids, no supervision, buying a manor, not going to school, not even getting jobs, _and_ a fancy car? We didn't want it be the straw that broke the camels back. Besides when you spend your entire life living in a buck skin bough shelter, material things just don't mean that much."

Alice gaped. "What, so you never go shopping? Ever?"

"We update our human wardrobes when we need to, maybe once a year, but for the most part we make all our clothes. I only have three human outfits here with me in Forks."

"That's... an outrage! We are going shopping! Tomorrow!" She said with a note of finality.

"But-"

"No buts!"

"I don't have any way to draw money from my family's account. We don't have a card or anything-"

"I'll pay for everything."

"No, Alice, I can't have you-"

"I insist."

"It wouldn't be right."

"Bella..." Alice said, dangerously, advancing on me.

I gulped and backed up against one of the pillars holding up their porch. Alice was inches from me when we heard from inside, "Oh, lover's quarrel! Make up sex! Make up sex! Make up sex!" Emmett began to chant from the other side of the window, where he had been previously sat down and playing video games.

I blushed tomato red while Alice glared at her monkey of a brother. "Come on, Bella. Let's go walking somewhere. I promise I'll have you back by your bed time." She grinned and led me from the porch.

"Actually, I wanted to do the same thing... I had somewhere in mind, if you'd care to accompany me." I asked, grinning. Loki materialized by my side, having gone somewhere I wasn't sure of in the small span of time Alice and I had been talking.

Alice beamed. "Of course! Do I get to know?"

"Nope!" I said, popping the 'p' on the end.

Alice scowled. "Life is so frustrating, not being able to use my visions."

I winked. "Sorry, ma'am. Now get on." I said, hopping onto Loki's back. Alice gracefully followed my lead, sitting behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist. Loki knew where we were going and I did my best not to think about it so Alice wouldn't be able to pick it up through the link. I had found this place a week ago while we were patrolling the Cullen's land. It wasn't too far, but a ways up the creek, leading away from town, I had found a beautiful little nook I think Alice will appreciate.

It wasn't a terribly long run. Loki was running no more than thirty miles and hour, a slow pace for him, and we stopped within ten minutes. Not that we were there yet, though. I wanted this to be a true surprise. "Alright Alice. Hold your breath and cover your eyes."

She did as she was asked, but smirked. "I can still hear, you know."

I laughed, and wove a quick spell in my mind, pushing the magic outwards and wrapping it around my mate. "_Oh, can you_?"

Alice gasped. "_How- Oh, you're gonna pay for that._" She growled playfully. "_Out of curiosity, why not just do that to the rest of my senses. And is there anything your magic _can't_ do_?"

"_As for your first question, and you better not peek by the way,_" I said, beginning to lead her off, Loki trailing close behind, "_I didn't want to render you completely helpless. That just seems cruel. As for your second, watch out, log here, yes. There are many limits. It only seems few because they're not limits you encounter on a daily basis. I can't create life where it did not have the ability to exist prior. I could, for instance, impregnate farm animals, as certain spirits can do. However I could not make a rock birth another rock. But why would you want to? Duck here._"

"_Is that all?_" She must have sensed there was more, so she continued. "_Well, let me rephrase. It seems as though you have many powers that your Tribe mates do not. What are the usual limits? And why don't they pertain to you?_"

I sighed. "_I have a bit more power within me than most. Than any, really. We're not sure why, it was just the gift that Gaia gave me. Some of the others are limited in the types of spells they can weave, or the number of people or things they can effect. I could create a small, centralized thunderstorm if I wanted, but for others moving that much air, changing the temperature, and affecting the air currents around it would prove impossible. As you saw the other day, I was easily able to freeze your family, my family, and the wolves with a simple spell. The rest of my Tribe together could have performed such a feat, but never one on there own. I can tell you more later though, we're here._"

I removed the spell from her ears and she uncovered her eyes. Her jaw dropped. We had followed the creek up nearly five miles to where a cliff had eroded away into a fifteen foot waterfall, which fell into a deep, wide, clear, tranquil pool. Willows and sycamores ringed the clearing, draping over the water. A naturally occurring stone slab formed a type of bench three feet below the surface, making a perfect resting space. The waterfall's pounding had smoothed the stones.

"Oh, _lord_." Alice gasped. "How have we not found this before? Bella, this is astonishing. I just, where are we, exactly? Did you do some kind of spell, take us somewhere else? I'm sure we've seen ever inch of the forest for twenty miles in any direction."

I grinned and led her to the water's edge. "That's because this area is what we Hunters call a Sanctuary. They're bespelled areas, little groves, glades, and grottoes that are home to spirits. No one without Forest Magic can find them. If anyone were to stumble upon them, they would be lulled by the spell, led carefully around the area, and deposited on the other side, none the wiser. Hunters often use them as resting places when they're on the hunt. The spirit who lived here has moved on, and I altered the magic so that you would be able to find it again, if you ever wanted to."

"Oh, wow. This is beautiful! I wish I had my swimsuit or something, this water looks pristine."

"Your wish is my command." I said, swooping behind a rock where I had had them stashed. Earlier in the day, before our mind link had kindled, I had asked Rafael to ask Esme to get one of Alice's suits and give it to Loki so he could bring it here. I had summoned my own before we arrive at the Cullen residence. Complicated, yes, but worth it judging by her reaction.

She squealed and jumped up, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her lips to mine.

"One more thing, before you get changed." I said, breaking away and taking her hand. I led her towards the waterfall, revealing a trail and a small cave behind it, big enough for maybe half a dozen people to fit comfortably. "Would you like to change in here?"

"What about you?" She asked.

I pulled at the string around my neck, showing her. "Already covered. Go change and then we can swim a bit."

"A moonlight swim? We'll aren't you suave." She giggled and flitted into the cave.

"Glad you noticed." I shyly pecked her once more on the lips before she was off. I quickly stepped out of my pants, but was still working on the shirt when she emerged. Pulling it off quickly (and blushing like mad,) I looked up to see her eyes slightly darker than they had been before. Embarrassed, I quickly skipped to the water's edge and dipped my hand in. It wasn't life-threateningly cold, but it would be uncomfortable. With my hand still submerged I muttered, "_Rasi,_" heat, and warmed the water until it was to my liking, just a degree or two cooler than bath water. I mentally pushed some magic into the surrounding rocks so that they would radiate heat and keep the water warm until the energy I stored in them had worn out.

I stood and looked back at Alice, really looked at her, and immediately blushed again. Her porcelain skin glowed in the moonlight, her amber eyes seemed to exude a kind of light that entranced me, even though as a Hunter vampire charm should have no effect. She was perfectly proportioned, even for her stature, her curves were alluring. She smirked. "I'm glad you approve." For the first time I remembered our link and blushed even deeper. Deeper yet when I realized she was having the same thoughts about me. I was nothing special though, not really, especially not physically.

"After you." I muttered, effectively fleeing from the situation. She would have none of that though. Alice came up behind me, gently encircling my waist with her arms. She spun me to face her, but I could not meet her eyes, sensing the verbal lashing that was to come.

"Isabella Marie Ravensage. You are the most singularly beautiful creature I have ever had the immense pleasure to lay my eyes upon. I love your long, beautiful hair. I love your deep, beautiful eyes. I love your olive toned, beautiful skin. I love your toned, beautiful body. I love your active, witty, sarcastic, loving personality, perhaps the most beautiful thing about you. Bella, there is so much more magical about you than just your power. I love _you,_ because _you_ are beautiful, not just outside, but inside as well."

Tears leaked from my eyes. _My mate..._ I thought, joyfully. _Here in my arms and saying such things._ "I love you too, Alice."

"Good."

We spent hours in the waterfall pool, lounging about, swimming, laying in each others arms. The moon was beginning to set when Alice insisted that I go home and get some sleep, loathe as we were to part. She ran alongside Loki, who had been patrolling the woods as we bathed, all the way to the house. I told Loki I wanted to get home the old fashioned way, to be alone with the forest. It was calming and something I did often, so he understood. I walked Alice to the porch but instead of telling her how much our night had meant to me, how much she meant to me, I just let my feelings overflow through our link, washing over her mind and soul with all the power I could muster. Her eyes began to shine with tears she couldn't shed and she took a quick step towards me, locking her arms around my waist in an iron embrace.

"Oh, my Bella, I feel the same. Thank you so much."

"Of course you're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the night."

"I did, but that's not what I meant." her voice was husky with emotion. "I meant thank you for finding me. I didn't even know what I was missing until you came here. I had no idea. I feel... I feel like a blind person seeing for the first time. It sounds so cheesy but I never knew how much of my life, of myself, that I wasn't able to experience. Thank you for giving that gift to me."

"That's what I'm here for. To give you all I can be. Everything I have is yours." I leaned in and gave her a sweet, slow kiss. "Goodnight, my love. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, my Bella."

I turned to leave, walking down the driveway but I only got about halfway (just about out of hearing range) before I was halted by a tall figure.

"Hello Rosalie." I said neutrally. I knew she didn't like me, she might have even hated me. I was more than willing to put her in her place is she was going to threaten mine and Alice's relationship, but as per Hunter credo, I'd wait for her to make the first move.

She sneered. "I don't know what you're playing at, Filth, but I'm warning you. Leave my sister alone." Her voice dripped venom, her eyes shot dagger.

I remained unruffled, knowing it would incense her further. "I'll leave Alice the day hell freezes over. I don't know why it's so hard for you to accept that she's my mate and I am hers."

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you were sent here to destroy us? That you little ginger girl 'imprinted' on one of the wolves, and here you are to kill them too. The fact that you are able to create all sorts of illusions, or whatever it is. It just seems like a cold-hearted bitch like you and your so-called family are more likely here to do what you were sent to do than for any other reason. I think you're fooling Alice into loving you. For trust, for information, for whatever strategic angle you want to choose. Do you know what I do to people who fuck with my family?" She growled, trying to intimidate me.

My eyes narrowed, my magic began to swirl about me in a silvery sheen. "Watch yourself, Blondie. You're about to make the biggest mistake of your life," I hissed out, enraged that she would think so little of me, or worse, so little of Alice. "Because you are _dead fucking wrong_. You think I'm lying? You think I would do that to _Alice?_ You stone cold bitch, I would _die_ before I ever hurt her! Where the hell do you get off telling me that I don't love Alice, that she isn't the single most important thing in the world to me? If I wanted to kill you all, I could have done it the moment we came to town, with a snap of my fingers!" To show her my proof, I snapped my fingers, causing a spark that soon blossomed into a swirling mini-inferno levitating above my fist.

My voice lowered. "I could kill you right now." I cast a quick spell rooting her feet to the ground so she could not move. She began to struggle, spitting curses at me, but I continued. "The difference between us is that I don't threaten people I dislike. I don't kill people I distrust. I don't strike until I've been provoked. If I was like you, you would be dead now. Tonight I was finally able to tell Alice how much I loved her, this was a special night for her and I and you _ruined it._ For that alone I ought to rattle around those rocks in your skull, the ones in your ears, the stone film over your eyes. Anyone with a lick of sense would be able to see how much I love Alice, a hundred times more than you do at any rate, or you would be able to accept her happiness."

I extinguished the fire over my fist and freed Rosalie's feet. "Doubt me again, whether it be my love for your sister or my ability to thwart any attack you might be able to throw at me, and I'll show you just how wrong you are on every single damn level." I brushed past her, continuing on my path home, listening carefully for any sound of pursuit or rebuttal. None was offered, though I could tell she didn't move, just stood there, watching my retreating figure.

_Thank you..._ I heard Alice whisper in my mind.

Heavy thoughts weighed my mind until I finally dragged myself home, quickly collapsing into a peaceful sleep.

A few hours later, however, I was awoken not quite as peacefully. "Bella! Getcher ass up and get your gear on! Some wolves are here and they're lookin' for a fight!" Rafael yelled up the stiars. His voice was heated, I could almost hear sparks of rage.

_Shit._ I thought. _Between Rosalie and the pack, I'm not gonna get more than four hours of sleep for the rest of my life._

I felt Alice stir immediately. _You're up! Bella I'm so sorry about- What's wrong?_ Her tone was worried so I explained quickly as I pulled on my leather jerkin and bodice, black buckskin leggings, and boots, all spelled for protection, speed, and accuracy.

_Apparently some wolves are here looking for a fight._

_ You need any help? _She growled.

_No, better not to involve you. _I said with certainty, choosing which of my three bows I would bring, which of my fifteen knives, how many arrows made of which wood with which feathers and which tips. _Not yew, that won't be compatible with any _Abdureni _spells, and I might need those if I need to blind them. Pine will lower the potency of my spelled obsidian. Ah, black oak and Dante's Iron. Perfect._

_ As qualified as you sound, and mark my words, one day will will tell me every single kind of weapon you have, I think you could use the help of my family-_

_ It's not because I'm trying to protect you Alice, I promise. It's because a, this is our job, and b, they'll be less likely to fuck with us again if it's six teenagers giving them a beating than them being outnumbered and fighting vampires. If we appear to have sided with you, seeing as we're together, as opposed to with them, as Holly has been mated with Seth, their tempers will be more likely grow, and they will become more hostile. If we present ourselves as a neutral group, it will be more likely that we can come to an agreement. _All this explanation went on as I donned my belt and sheathes, quivers and arm guards, an amulet charmed against blood loss and a bracelet for luck. That last bit was just superstition, but you couldn't be too careful, right?

Alice just grumbled, but she no longer pressed the issue.

I was downstairs in three minutes where my Tribe waited, all dressed similarly, even Holly. I knew she had no intention of fighting the wolves, they were her family just as much as the Cullen's were mine, but she would present a united front. I led them outside, knowing they would fan out into the arrow head formation as soon as they had adequate room. I led at point position, finding Sam in human form, and four wolves, two on either side in one line, and five behind all looking quite unwilling.

"What's this about, Sam?" I asked, voice cold. I was all business now, a true Hunter.

"You need to leave. You're clearly a danger to the populace, and it is our sworn duty to-"

"Okay, yeah. I'm going to stop you right there." I said, voice bored. I studied my nails as I went on. "Not out of disrespect, mind you, merely a bit of alpha to alpha advice. It's generally considered bad practice to begin a long winded and pointless lecture based on rickety and entirely untrue information. To put it as bluntly as I can, you don't have the slightest inkling what you're talking about."

Sam clenched his fists in rage. "Oh don't I? I've seen your power, _hunter,_" He spat out the word with scorn, "You could wreak havoc, and after your little display, I have no reason to think you won't."

"Ah. That. You see, I was simply defending my territory. Would you not attack as well if I threatened your precious Emily?" He stiffened, obviously unaware that I knew as much as I did. "Surprised? And no, I wasn't informed by your pack mates, don't blame them, I can already see that thought behind your eyes. And no, I have no intention of divulging my secrets to the likes of you. Back to the point however, you are in all ways wrong. We are dangerous? More dangerous than you, that you have the right to stay, yet we should leave? Do you actually hear the words you speak, or do they come out on their own? Really now." I scoffed

I advanced on him, slowly. "I have trained every day of my life to control my powers, to hone them and to perfect them. I have _no rivals._ I could lash my power out in a second, destroying everything for twenty miles in any direction, it's true. Similarly, I can lock my power down so that even in death they can not escape. Can you say the same, fuzz ball?" I sneered, watching with satisfaction as he began to shake with anger.

"You see? That's my point. The slighted provocation and your fuse is lit, ticking down second by second until you blow. I've studied your kind, Sam. I know more about yourself than you do. Are you aware that there are certain herbs that, if eaten regularly, will halt your transformations? There are poisons that will lock you in your wolf forms for a decade. In fact, four of the arrows in my quiver are tipped with such a poison." I raised one eyebrow, gauging his carefully controlled expression, which in turn gave away everything. "Now the only reason you can still move freely, that you aren't on the ground writhing in pain, is because I spare you.

"Sam Uley, I am more than a match for you, your packmates, your elders, and every damned wolf that has come before you. How many vampires have you killed in your life? One? Three? Ten?"

"Eleven." He growled out.

"Yes? Well, I've killed dozens. My Tribe and I together have killed upwards of one hundred and fifty. And you are more capable of protecting the citizens of Forks than we are? While you specialize in killing Vampires, we specialize in the destruction of over five hundred different species of dangerous supernaturals, and three hundred species of those who are not dangerous, just as precaution. Tell me, how many trolls have wandered through your Reservation in the past week?"

He just blinked and gaped.

"The answer is three. Luckily for you, trolls are docile unless they come into contact with another troll, in which case they become enraged, and will destroy anything in their paths. One was alone, but the other two came quite close. You would be utterly lost in that situation. We would have ended the problem before I could finish this sentence. Understand? Sam, your wolves are nothing more than mosquitoes to us, to be left alone until they become a bother, and then swatted away. Do you truly understand? We may be outnumbered, but you are _clearly_ outmatched, a hundred times over.

"Now, I honestly have no intention to harm you, nor your brothers and sisters, nor your family, nor anyone on the reservation, nor anyone in Forks or Washington nor the entire world, unless they become a general threat. Our job is to remove general threats that would harm our charges, being the creatures of the world, and especially those we love."

His jaw clenched.

"Ah, you see the picture then."

"The Cullens are our enemies, and we will _not_ make peace."

"If you won't, then I will." I hissed. "Mark my words, Uley and mark them well. The Cullens are not your enemy. If anything, they help you, you thick-skulled dim wit! Other Vampires will instinctively know that this territory is occupied, and will stay away. Their constant presence makes your job easier. Not only that," I pulled a spell up from my gut, one that would push my words not only into his ears, but into his mind and also in the minds of his pack mates, "THEY DON'T DRINK HUMAN BLOOD, YOU RAGING DIPSHITS!" Sam fell to his knees, clutching his ears, and the wolves let out high pitched whines. "What part of DON'T DRINK HUMAN BLOOD do you not understand? They're not fucking monsters! The only monsters around here are you close-minded, tunnel-visioned, high-and-mighty, heads-up-your-asses wolves!

"Where do you get off telling a kind, generous, loving, giving _family_ what they can and can not do, simply because of what they are? Especially when they have shown you every second of every day that they are working with all their might to _not _be the monsters your ignorant legends depict them as? You thought those few vampires centuries ago were _evil_? They weren't sadistic, they didn't relish in the pain of others. The Vampires I've hunted, those worthy of death, _relish_ the kill. They take their victims to abandoned houses, chain them up, starve them, rape them, disembowelthem!" I forced a mental picture into their minds of the scene we had once stumbled upon while we were chasing down a coven of three vampires who did all this.

A woman lying on the floor, manacles latched around her bloody and torn wrists and ankles. They had worn to the bone. She was split from her vagina up, pelvis crackled and showing through the skin. She had been raped, then as she still breathed, from the gaping hole that had been created, her entrails had been strewn about her. Every bone in her body had been meticulously cracked, one by one. The vampire, Ferdinand, had carved his named into her skin with his nails. _Then_ he had killed her. Sam vomited on the ground before me, quivering in rage and fear, tears leaking from his eyes.

"Please." He sobbed. "Stop."

My voice softened. "I can't, not until you understand. The Cullens are _good_ people. Carlisle is a _doctor_, he saves people's lives for a living. They dedicate millions of dollars a year to charities all over the world. Esme builds homes for the homeless. Emmett helps coach little league games when he can. Alice designs clothing for fashion students who need help getting started, who are starving and have nowhere else to go. Do you see what I mean? What's more, they do it completely anonymously, asking not a penny in return. How can you call them monsters?"

I let that sit with him, as he still sat on the ground, shaking now with exhaustion.

"Please understand. I'm not asking you to fall in love with them, to invite them over for Christmas, and exchange birthday cards. Only to see the difference, so that our families can tolerate one another. You _are_ their family now, through Seth and through Holly, then through me and through Alice. We're all connected, whether you like it or not. I'm not asking you to like it, only to accept it so that we may move past this and get on with our lives. Your treaty is invalid. Your lore, as far as the Cullens are concerned, is invalid. Your hatred, is invalid. Your hostility? It's only dangerous to yourself. We fight on the side of what's right, Sam, which means that my Tribe and I, Holly barred of course, will not, be siding, with you." I carefully enunciated the last part.

Sam swallowed a few times, thinking hard. "This is too much for a split decision. We will leave and converse with out elders. You will hear from us shortly with our decision."

I waved them off, as if our encounter had never happened. "Be off with you then. I've got spells to weave." I turned back into the house. It was true, more or less, there were several things I had been meaning to try for a while now, and I truly meant to do them. If was also an intimidating way to end our conversation, so why not monopolize on it? I felt my Tribe mates follow, except for Holly, who lingered to speak quickly with Seth, though she too quickly followed. I heard the multiple paw steps of the wolves fading in the distance and only then let out a sigh of relief.

I didn't expect Holly to slug me with a right hook.

**A/N: Oh snap! Cat fight! S#!+$ goin' down! Review for love! 333**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Welcome back. I love you all. Read on, readers! Chapter 6 awaits you!**

_I didn't expect Holly to slug me with a right hook._

"Why the hell did you do that?" Holly raged at me, turquoise eyes alight with anger. I could barely hear her though over the sound of Alice in my mind, snarling.

"_Fuck_, I could ask you the same thing!" I said, clutching my cheek. She had split the skin a bit, and blood coated the tips of my fingers as I pulled them away. At least nothing was broken. _It's okay Alice. Don't you and your siblings ever fight?_ She was not convinced.

"You put that horrible image in their minds, I know you did! The one of the girl, didn't you?"

"They needed the perspective," I growled out.

"Not all of them! You didn't need to torture the wolves that were already on our side! Bella, some of those kids have never seen death before, and _none_ of them had ever seen anything like that! They'll have nightmares, you've probably scarred them for life!"

"Good." I said, raising myself up to full height, which was almost a foot more than my smaller Tribe mate. "They won't forget the lesson I've taught them."

"You had no right to torment them." She snarled.

"Them? Or just Seth? Holly, I didn't do this just for Alice, I did it for us, for the wolves, and_ all _of the Cullens. I made the sacrifice of their mental innocence so that we may all live in peace. It wasn't out of spite, or anger, or anything like that. It was necessary. If you would calm down and think of the broader perspective, not just your mate, you would see that."

She breathed heavily, seething, but didn't speak.

"Just think on it." I said, going to the kitchen where we stored our bandages and adhesives. It was against our customs to use magic to heal any wound that was not life threatening, and even life threatening wounds were healed only to the point of survival, nothing more. We believed with all our hearts that pain was weakness leaving the body. My wound was a small gash, no more than an inch long. I cleaned it and covered it with a small bandage, just to hold the wound together as it healed. "Rafael, where did we put that map of Washington?"

"The huge one?" He asked from the other room where he and Birch had sat down to play Call of Duty.

"Yeah." We had bought the map not too long ago on my urgings, but I had yet to tell them what it was for.

"Uhh, attic I think. Near the old wardrobe?"

"Alright. If you grab it for me, I'll let you be the first to use it when I finish weaving the spells."

"Sweet." He said, hopping off the couch and up the stairs two at a time.

"What are you doing this time, Bella?" Birch asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Finding some clients." I grinned.

Birch looked puzzled, but before he could ask any questions Rafael had appeared back downstairs, large roll of parchment in his hands. I was about to begin explaining my plan when the front door flew open and Alice rushed in, closely followed by her siblings, as well as Carlisle and Esme. She blurred right up to me, taking my jaw firmly in her hands and inspecting my wound.

"Alice, it's okay, really."

She growled, then promptly wrapped her arms around me so tight I could scarcely breath. I felt Another force join in and looked up to see Emmett joined in. I put a quick strengthening spell around my rib cage for protection, just in case. Jasper and Edward, even Rosalie (The fuck? Bipolar much,) all came to lay hands on my arms or shoulders, wherever they could reach. Carlisle and Esme smiled from the doorway.

"Uh, guys?" I asked, baffled.

"They're thanking you for defending our family like you did." Esme said, her voice soft and wavering, as if she was on the border of tearing up.

"I only did what was right." I said, blushing.

"Not many would do that for a vampire." Rosalie murmured. "Not many can see the human side of us layered beneath the stone, and even fewer would go to such lengths to bring it to the surface where everyone can see. Thank you."

I just blinked, unsure how to answer her especially after last night, or any of them. "No problem guys. Seriously. You all are our family now." I tried my best to shrug under their mass.

"Whether you like it or not." Rafael said, flinging himself onto the pile. Aria and Archer were quick to follow, and they promptly dragged Birch in as well.

Felling the slightest bit claustrophobic, I used my magic to gently push all but Alice out and away. "Alright, that's enough mushy-gushy for me, I've got spells to weave."

"Oh, you're doing more magic?" Emmett said excitedly, like he was watching some side circus act.

I laughed. "Yes Emmett. Would you like to watch? I'll try my best to explain everything to you all." I led them to the dining room where I rolled the huge map out on the equally massive table. The map was the kind police departments would use to hang on a wall and make markings to follow a criminals movement, except this was bigger as it detailed the entire state of Washington. It was easily fifteen by fifteen feet, and did _not_ fit on the table. I sighed. "Change of plans! Rafael, call Home Depot, we're remodeling the basement into our HQ."

Esme gasped and her eyes lit up. "Bella, I remodel as a side job, I would be more than happy to help you! I can do it all, construction, destruction, painting, flooring, even interior design."

I grinned. "That would be awesome. I'll talk to you about it later, okay?"

She nodded.

"Perfect, then. Aria, can you run up to the attic real quick while I go down and get this set up. I'll need four sol gems, the wood chips, the silver bowl, my special matches, the pendulum, and the granite orb. Oh, and the Bestiary, the big one."

"Sure thing, Bells."

Our basement was simple, just a large empty room with beige carpet, a few bookshelves and boxes. Under the stairs was the laundry room, but other than that it was just empty space. "Esme, if you redo this, I'd like a raised platform that we can permanently lay the map on. We'll need lots and lots of bookshelves and storage space too. Also, soundproofing wouldn't hurt."

"Got it." She grinned.

"Okay, boys, help me lay this out. Aria?"

"Here." She handed me the bundle of the things I had asked for.

"Boys, put a sol gem on each corner. Aria, scatter the wood chips. Alice, can you hand me the bowl with the orb, pendulum, and matches?"

They did as I bid, the Cullens watching with an odd fascination. "So what exactly are you doing here, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"Right, sorry. I'm setting up to enchant this map so it can help us find threats that we need to eliminate. Just weaving a spell, is all."

"Don't let her fool you for a minute." Birch said, rolling his eyes. "She says shes 'just weaving a spell,' but she neglects to mention that not one in one hundred thousand Hunters have the gift to compile magic in new ways."

I grumbled my dissent as I focused on my ingredients, trying to sense the way they would mold together to form the result I wished. Again, Carlisle questioned, "Is that so?"

"That's right." Aria said, leaning against the wall. "See, magic used to be a lot simpler, as easy as rain falling or a tree growing, because in essence magic is simply the manipulation of the way things work. It's being able to influence Gaia's presence in the world. The Wild Things are nearly one hundred percent made up of our goddess' essence. Supernaturals, humans, and Hunters tweak things a little bit, we all use it in different ways, but it's still there. Your super senses and immortality? That's magic, you just use it in a different way.

"Us hunters, we used to have complete control over it, as much as Gaia herself, we merely lacked her power. Now though, she is becoming less of the world. Humans are taking over, the Wild is getting destroyed, so our power wains. So does everything else. Carlisle, before you were created, around the time of the first Volturi, Vampires with extra gifts used to be common. Now it's rare. Animals are dying out, they are being born with mutations. Human life is rampant with sickness, all because the light of Gaia wains.

"It used to be that all Hunters could sense the shift and flow of the energies around us, and we could manipulate them with a flick of the wrist. Now we must study spells, memorize them, they must be taught to us. Unless, of course, you're Bella. She has a stronger connection with our Goddess than anything else to have been born in almost four thousand years. She can take the energy around her, twist and weave the patterns into brand new spells. It's an art nearly lost, and a very useful one."

"You done yet?" I asked, blushing.

"Not nearly. We haven't even told them the near limitless possibilities." Rafael quipped from the other side of the room.

"No, I'm pretty sure you're done. We can talk about it when I need to concentrate less. Bestiary please?" I asked, holding out a hand, eyes not leaving the map. I felt it in my hands, grasped it, and levitated into to the center of the map. Second I cast a floating spell on the pendulum so it hung in the direct center of the map, nearly seven feet up. I summed water into the bowl, setting it on the western side, the set a lit match, one that would burn continuously until I wished otherwise on the east. To the south I set the granite orb, then moved to my position on the northern face.

"All these elements are to focus large quantities of energy. The concentrate the forces of Gaia, allowing me to weave more threads of magic, to make it more intricate. The fire symbolizes the sun, which rises in the east. The water is the cool release of nighttime, where the sun sets in the west. The granite is at the southern end as a base, a strong and sturdy platform of earth. The pendulum is suspended in air, which surrounds and sustains us. I am a beacon of life, which must be at the forefront of anything and everything. The wood chips and sol gems will be used is beacons, meaning that once I cast the spell, they will act through the map, projecting the spell real life onto the actual land. They also fuel the spell after it's been cast. The wood chips will draw trace amounts of energy from trees they share wood with, so an oak will attract to an oak. The sol gems will draw infinite energy from the suns rays. You know, theoretically." I shrugged, and held my arms out, palms facing the map and closed my eyes.

Taking a deep breath I began. "_Jalea maki fet kuru mon iki, taleon mak detteo ab leyti. Surka maki hab sahtteo ab genko daste, a de burru ak tallo dest allume._" Show through light that which is hidden, use these beacons to illuminate at my bidding. Rise through knowledge of skills hard learned, so that our foes may be discerned. The words were not as important as the intent, they were merely a channel so that the magic would not veer off course. I opened my eyes to find Bestiary flipping rapidly page by page, cover to cover. The gems glowed brightly and the wood chips had magnetized with their living counterparts, and stood on end. The elements had risen some inches off the ground and hovered, as I felt a golden glow surround me. I felt as if the magic were circling round a drain, faster and faster, more and power forcefully until finally with a bone jarring impact the spell completed.

I collapsed to the ground landing harshly on my rear end, along with my instruments. The bestiary lay closed. On the map, however, I saw what I had been aiming for. It had become more magic than parchment, now a 3D raised display, showing not only topography, but real time moving water, swaying trees and plants, even cars driving along the road. Small yet intricately detailed figures walked across the map, everywhere. Humans were gray nothings, except for a few who glowed a faint yellow colors. They were minor threats. No one was red, of that I was glad. Then, throughout the forest, I saw what else had been hoping for. All sorts of supernaturals were shown on the map, every kind, and there were more than I expected. Non-threats, such as Pixies, Brownies, or small spirits were green. There were several trolls throughout the state, but no more than twenty, and they were all yellow. Possible threats, but no need for action. I saw the wolves down at La Push, some were yellow but most were green. The Cullens within our house were green as well. Us hunters were white. In the far eastern reaches of the state however, I saw a Lurk, a ghoul of sorts, stalking a young man. It was red.

"Oh no." Before the words were out of my mouth the mans gray figure faded, and the Lurk dissipated from the state.

"What was that?" Carlisle asked quietly.

My voice was tired when I answered. "A Lurk. They're spirits from the Ether, come through the veil. They feed off of the souls of living things." I mumbled.

"Oh." He said, eying the map with awe. "How do you know what everything is?"

"I'll know instinctively seeing as it's my magic, but others would just hold their hands above the figure. See." I took Alice's hand and held it over a pixie.

She gasped. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, offended, while I giggled.

"I wanna try!" Emmett said, holding his hand over the same figure, soon bursting out with a booming laugh. "I think she's calling you short, squirt."

"Hmpf!" Alice said, crossing her arms and turning away from Emmett and I.

I took the next few minutes to explain the intricacies of the spell, how exactly I had formed it, and how it worked. "Well Raf, I promised, you get to use it first. Pick a target."

He rushed up to the map, scanning it eagerly. "But... no one is red." He frowned up at me.

"So it would seem." I grinned. "Well, whenever one turns red, you can pick it then."

"Hey! I feel duped!" He said, indignant, even stamping his foot.

I laughed, along with everyone else. "Sorry, sir. But I didn't lie!"

He grumbled, "See if I ever fetch things for you again..."

"Bella. I have a question for you." Rosalie whispered from the back of the group.

"Fire away." I said, dryly.

"Can you make it so that I could bear a child?" Her voice was steady and smooth, but terrified, though I saw that more in her eyes than anything else. She knew I had no reason to say yes, even if it could be done. She knew I owed her nothing. She knew she deserved a no.

Instead I blinked a few times, considering it. "Um... I'm not sure. That's tricky. See, you used to be human so the, uh... hardware is all there, but you're not still alive, not really. I told Alice just the other day that I can easily impregnate animals and humans, as certain spirits can, but I couldn't make a rock birth a rock. You're a mix of both."

"But is it _possible_?" She asked, her voice strained.

I looked her in the eye, gauging her. Everything about her. I saw the desire, the all consuming _need_ for a child of her own. It was her everything. I quickly went over the mathematics in my mind. _It was possible at one time, so the trace elements of the natural magic will still be there, perhaps I could magnify those. However, her body isn't capable of growth, I would need to find an energy supply for that, and it would need to be a constant stream for the whole gestation. Also, how would the baby be delivered, would it hurt her? Or the child? What are the complications? Would the child grow on it's own or would that too need to be provided? Young vampires are prohibited, they're impossible to control, but perhaps if it was half-human..._ Alice gasped, having heard my decision.

"Yeah, I think I could do it." I said, assuredly.

Rosalie blinked a few times then collapsed on the ground, sobbing slightly, breath heaving. "Bella... Bella please. I know you probably hate me and I don't deserve any kindness, I've been nothing but cruel to you. I've made your life so much harder than it needed to be, when all you wanted to do was love Alice and make a life for yourself and your family, and I'm so sorry. I don't deserve this but, please... will you do this for me?"

I looked at her, a long glance, before sighing. "Rosalie, of course I will. How could I deny anyone something like this?"

Rosalie's sobbing broke out full force now. I was a tad disturbed before I realized these were happy tears. "Thank you... thank you so much. When? Please. Please, Bella, when?"

I knelt before her. "It will be complicated, I'll need some time to prepare. First things first, I'll need a detailed analysis of your body's magic, the way you work, your energy flows. I'll need to simulate how your body would grow if you were a human, and I'll need a constant energy flow for the entire time of gestation. Not only that, but we could never hope to control a fully vampire child, even if I were to continue it's growing process until it was an adult. Instead, I want to try to refine a pure human DNA sample from Emmett to combine it with your entirely vampire DNA to make a half and half child. They are rare, but not unheard of. Your child will be immortal, except it will be able to eat both human food or blood, and they won't shine in the sun. They won't be as fast or strong, and they won't be able to heal quite like you do, but they will live for as long as you do. I can get started this evening, I'm sure."

Rosalie launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around me, clinging to me as if I were a life boat and she was drowning. "Thank you, thank you. I owe you everything, anything, just ask and it will be yours. That Emmett and I could have a child together, oh Bella, Bella..." She broke off into sobbing again. I looked up to her family, seeing them all awestruck, not only because one of them was soon to be pregnant, but that Rosalie was being so... not Rosalie.

"It's okay. No big deal. Anything for my family." I grinned and she looked up at me, nodding furiously.

"Family."

After my tribe and I had eaten, Alice and I returned to the waterfall. Not to swim, just to think. I had a lot of planning to do, after all.

"So how are you gonna pull this off?" Alice asked, grinning.

"Well, I'll need something of Emmett, probably a lock of hair. From that I'll use magic to divine a purely human essence. I'll combine that with Rosalie's purely vampiric essence. That will be the basis for the child, then I'll have to somehow trick Rosalie's body into thinking it's human again. After that, we'll just need a steady energy flow to sustain her growth for however long the gestation will take, which I'm beginning to think will be considerably shorter than a humans, as most cross breed pregnancies. Though of course, that's with a human mother and vampire father, and the mother rarely survives..." I trailed off for a moment, in thought, though Alice snapped and brought me back to reality. "Anyways, in the end, a child will be born. The outcome is unstable, but I think I'll be able to handle any roadblocks. Though be warned, Rosalie will be in full pregnancy mode. Cravings, mood swings, even more so than usual. Okay? We'll need to prepare for that. I might weaken her body a bit, just a bit, because I've never seen a hormonal vampire before, and I don't think I want to. I wouldn't want her straining herself and harming the child."

"That makes sense." Alice said, nodding. Now she was the one thinking deeply.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked, grinning.

"You know them, anyways." She rolled her eyes, but smiled none the less.

"True, but your voice is too pretty for me to pass up."

She lightly smacked my shoulder, then turned to lean against me. "I don't know. I've just been thinking about my lack of human life, what I've missed. I suppose the desire to be a mother is part of that, a part I apparently lack as well. I feel like something is wrong with me."

"Puh shaw." I scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with you at all, Alice. And I'm not just saying that because you're my adorable little pixie, either." She giggled, but let me continue. "I've never felt any desire to be a mother, none at all. That's half of the reason my family disowned me, because I had no intention of continuing the family line. I'm human enough, give or take. It doesn't make you abnormal, just you."

"You always know just what to say," She hummed, eyes closing, slumping even further into my embrace.

"Hey, it's what I'm here for." I wrapped my arm just a tad bit more snugly around her and sighed in happiness. It was good to feel this kind of purpose again. The only other time I ever was able to feel like this was when I was ridding the world of some kind of evil, and even then it always involved some kind of killing. This was different altogether and felt so much better.

_I'm glad,_ Alice's voice whispered in my mind's ear.

_Well, you think we should head back. It will take me a while to lay the foundation of the spell, but once it's activated, it'll just work itself out. I should be able to finish before midnight._

_ Your choice._ She said simply, shrugging.

"Let's go. I can tell your sister is really anxious to begin."

"Alright." Alice grinned and hopped up, tugging me along with her. "Bella, I can't even tell you how much this means to my family and I. You have no idea how much Rosalie has wanted a child."

"I could see it in her eyes." I smiled sincerely, causing Alice to go up on her tip toes and plant a light kiss on my lips before leading me back to their house.

I stopped on the way to gather a few herbs I'd need to keep my strength up, not too many, just enough. We walked through the door to find everyone waiting, Emmett and Rosalie at the forefront. "Ready to begin?" I asked, grinning.

They all nodded vigorously, even my Tribe. They loved to watch me weave spells, it enthralled them. Also, as they had told me some time ago, they were proud of me and felt a great sense of personal pride that their alpha had the skills I did. It made them feel important. "Let's get this show on the road!" Emmett boomed. "I wanna be a Daddy!"

We all laughed at his antics, but I soon cut short the jovial attitude and got down to business. "Alright, this is gonna be complicated. Emmett, I'm gonna need some part of you, preferably a lock of hair, Rosalie, same from you though I could also do with some venom. From that I'll make the basis of life for the child. Rosalie, Emmett, do you want to pick the gender of the child?"

Emmett looked to his wife, "Totally up to you, babe."

Rosalie looked on the verge of one decision, then changed her mind. "No, I want this child to be exactly as it would have been if Emmett and I were still human."

"So, no gift then? I could do that too. Remember, her or she will be among the humans more than the rest of you. They'll be able to interact. Is there anything you can think of?"

"You could do that?" Emmett asked, awestruck.

I grinned, but gave no answer.

Rosalie looked thoughtful, chewing on her lip. "I don't know, I just want our child to be protected, always protected. I want them to grow up healthy and safe and to feel loved."

I mulled it over. "I can work with that. What about something along the lines of sensing other people's intentions. Not emotions, quite like you Jasper, but what they're planning on doing. Like a mixture of Alice and Jasper's gifts."

Emmett grinned. "Sweet."

Rosalie looked up at Emmett, saw how happy he was, and nodded to me. "Perfect."

"Okay, now on to the mechanics of it. Rosalie, you'll need a constant stream of energy to maintain the spell during gestation, otherwise your body will stop growing and supporting the child. To do this, seeing as I don't have the power alone to do this for an endless period of time, I wanted to set up a small spell that would connect to your family members, with their consent. Nominal amounts of energy would be taken from their limitless supply to fuel you. In the mean time, my Tribe could protect you all if there were any threats, not that I'm anticipating them, nor do I think the drained energy would make that much difference, but still. That is, if they agree."

"Anything for one of my children." Esme said, lovingly.

"We all know how much Rosalie and Emmett want this, how could we refuse?" Jasper said, and the rest nodded.

"Alright then. I suspect the duration of your pregnancy to be around two or three months. Perhaps even one, I'm not entirely sure how the influx of vampire energy will affect it. Now as soon as your ready, just hand me the locks or venom or whatever and we can begin."

They did as I asked, taking small bits of hair from the backs of their necks, as their hair would never grow back. I held Emmett's sample first, casting a simple refining spell, focusing on the human bits, and was left with a dusty gray pile of what looked like ash. _Interesting,_ I mused. Rosalie's on the other hand, turned into what was similar to powdered glass, maybe even diamond. I put both piles into my left hand and closed my eyes. This was a more complicated spell. I focused back on my lessons of farm elves and tundra dryads, who had the power of impregnation, and channeled that energy into my magic, forming and sculpting it in my mind. I opened my eyes and saw floating now an inch above my hand a glowing golden orb.

Just before I was about to take the next step, Alice brushed against my mind. I let her in, questioning her with a mental tone, if not words.

_Rosalie has always dreamed of son with Emmett's hair and dimples, with sapphire blue eyes. Not that she want's to admit it. Just thought you might like to know._

_ Thanks. _I sent her a wave of pure love through out link before refocusing on my task. It was a simple matter to influence how the child would grow. I looked up at Rosalie. "Raise your shirt, just enough to show your stomach."

She complied quickly and I stepped forward, holding my hand inches in front of her stomach. The spell would activate as soon as it sensed the mother was near. I felt the energy in the little ball of life buzz, then watched as it floated towards Rosalie. "Welcome to the world, little one." I whispered, watching with awe as the gold orb passed through Rosalie's diamond skin, dissipating into her.

As awestruck as I was, I was not done. I held my hands to the side, trying not to notice everyone's wide-eyed and awestruck expressions. I still had work to do. I closed my eyes and reached out with my magic, feeling the infinite life sparks of every one of the Cullen's, bypassing those of my Tribe. I envisioned veins flowing from them to Rosalie, just tiny little dribbles of energy, and quickly weaved them into the tapestry that was my previous spell. I knew as soon as they had connected because I felt the pulse of the small child-to-be, as he began to grow. A last minute decision swept into my mind.

_Alice! _I ran my plan by her without using words, as it was quicker, and felt her adamant agreement. I made a small tweak to the spell, then ended it. It was done. I opened my eyes, looked straight at Rosalie, and nodded once, conveying my success. She dry sobbed and once again flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. "Thank you, so much. After all these years, I'll finally have a child of my own, Emmett's child no less. Oh, how could I ever repay you?"

I smiled sadly. "Just be the loving parents your child deserves. Accept everything about them, a love every small detail, no matter if it's good or bad. Never allow them to feel unloved, and always give them a chance to make up for their mistakes. Don't... don't hold small things against them. Never let them feel unloved."

I felt my tribe move imperceptibly closer, felt their minds brush mine to comfort me, knowing my small speech came from the heart.

Rosalie nodded. "Of course. I can't imagine doing it any other way."

"Good. Well, now all we do is keep you healthy and well-fed until your child is born." I shrugged and smiled, but Rosalie just looked at me and shook her head in what I interpreted as disbelief. "What?"

"It- It just seems odd. I don't know, having a child of my own has always seemed like such an obstacle, always looming over me, always... out of my reach. Yet here you are speaking as if it's the simplest thing. The difference between us is... almost baffling."

I smiled, understanding how she must be feeling. "I know. Don't thank me though, thank my Goddess. While she may have been the one who prevented you from becoming pregnant on your own, she is also the one that brought me here, fated me to meet your sister, and gave me the power to assist you as well. I was merely the channel."

Alice sighed. "So modest. Bella, you are the one who did the deed, and it is you we will always be grateful to."

I shrugged. "That is beyond my control."

"I'm only bummed we couldn't do it the _real_ way." Emmett said, wiggling his eyebrows, bringing a laugh into the otherwise somber moment.

"But you did." I said, grinning. "A baby should created from love, not passion. Sex is just the middle man. Your child will be as natural as any other, perhaps even more so."

"Pretty speech." Rosalie said, echoing her statement from the other day. The difference, however, was that now her voice was filled with gratefulness and love.

I just nodded.

Before I could reply, though, Birch gasped, shuddered, and fell to his knees.

"Birch!" I called, watching in horror as he began to convulse.

**A/N: Oh noes! Not Birch! What's happening to him, I wonder? Review and I might tell you :3 And don't hate me for the whole Rosalie thing, it has a very distinct purpose! I love you all, hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Oh lordy, it's been a while. Here's a little update! I've started working on this again, so hopefully you'll see more from me anyways! **

**Also, a little side note, to those of you who like writing, like RP-ing, or want to write with ME *cue hair flip* (Jk, I'm not that important ) try stopping by rubymoonlight dot proboards dot com slash index dot cgi (Curse you FF for blocking urls...)  
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**It's a wolf RP, very active and friendly! Stop by if you've got the time (: Thanks, and I love you all!**

_ "Good. Well, now all we do is keep you healthy and well-fed until your child is born." I shrugged and smiled, but Rosalie just looked at me and shook her head in what I interpreted as disbelief. "What?"_

_ "It- It just seems odd. I don't know, having a child of my own has always seemed like such an obstacle, always looming over me, always... out of my reach. Yet here you are speaking as if it's the simplest thing. The difference between us is... almost baffling."_

_ I smiled, understanding how she must be feeling. "I know. Don't thank me though, thank my Goddess. While she may have been the one who prevented you from becoming pregnant on your own, she is also the one that brought me here, fated me to meet your sister, and gave me the power to assist you as well. I was merely the channel."_

_ Alice sighed. "So modest. Bella, you are the one who did the deed, and it is you we will always be grateful to."_

_ I shrugged. "That is beyond my control."_

_ "I'm only bummed we couldn't do it the real way." Emmett said, wiggling his eyebrows, bringing a laugh into the otherwise somber moment._

_ "But you did." I said, grinning. "A baby should created from love, not passion. Sex is just the middle man. Your child will be as natural as any other, perhaps even more so."_

_ "Pretty speech." Rosalie said, echoing her statement from the other day. The difference, however, was that now her voice was filled with gratefulness and love._

_ I just nodded._

_ Before I could reply, though, Birch gasped, shuddered, and fell to his knees._

_ "Birch!" I called, watching in horror as he began to convulse. He wasn't responsive, just seizing._

"What's going on?" Carlisle said, his doctor training apparently kicking in.

I gulped. "It's just a... well not _just,_ but it's a Kara'til. It's a genetic gift passed down from ancient times. It finds it origins back with the Oracles of Ancient Greece. His parents are Kara'til too."

"Then why do you seem so shocked?" Carlisle asked, waiting for the punch line.

"Because the Kara'til isn't supposed to kick in until we reach full maturity at twenty-one, and Birch is only seventeen."

"So he's just following in your footsteps." Aria said, coming up behind me to lay a hand on my shoulder.

"It's not exactly something he should go through this early. The first time a Hunter experiences Kara'itl is not only frightening but can leave a person scarred and changed. I guess the most we can do is hope he gets through it okay. Raf, help me get him onto the couch?"

"Sure thing." Raf said, his voice subdued. I grabbed my Tribe mate under his arms and lifted while Rafael grabbed his feet.

"Is there anything I can do?" Carlisle asked.

I thought a moment and sighed. "I don't know. Perhaps. If you have any sedatives or anti-seizure medicines, those might help make things easier for him. Right now in his mind he'll be having a mental battle, trying to sort out a thousand different pasts, futures, and things going on in the present."

"Can't you help him?" Emmett asked. "You know, with magic?"

I sighed. "Nothing more than Jasper could do, just try to sooth him mentally. This is a very special kind of magic. It's... it's hard to explain. Inborn, genetic things aren't just in a person, they're everything that person is. It's impossible to separate one from another. To do anything about it I'd have to get between him and his Kara'itl, and I can't. We just need to wait it out."

Alice moved to my side and began softly massaging my shoulders, sensing the tension through our link. I relaxed into her touch and she guided me gently to the other couch. Birch still shuddered and shook as my tribe and I looked on with fear in our eyes. Carlisle reappeared soon with a syringe filled with clear liquid. "This should help his muscles relax and ease his shaking."

I nodded and Carlisle stepped up and pressed the needle into Birch's skin. "Good, that will be one less thing for his mind to worry about. I won't even ask why you have that in your house, though," I joked, trying to lighten the moment.

Carlisle grinned a bit sheepishly, to my surprise. "Oh, well, you see-"

Esme cut him off. "We've always been worried about the Shifters attacking. We thought it would be inevitable and we always knew we would defend ourselves as necessary, but we wanted to be stocked up in case we had to help one of the boys."

I smiled that they should be so caring, but my jaw clenched together at the thought of just how wrong the wolves were about my mate's family. "That is very kind of you, though I wouldn't expect anything else."

Birch's shaking eased, but he still panted. A sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. I sighed and walked over to him, summoning a rag and an orb of water which I set to swirling above my palm. I soaked the rag and chilled it before laying it across his forehead. To my shock he gasped and coughed, then wheezed out, "B-bella!"

"Birch? It's okay, we're all here. It's a Kara'til, Birch, you're okay." I said, trying to be as soothing as possible.

"Bella, they're c-coming. They know, they told them, they're all coming," he moaned, head lashing from side to side.

Alarm trilled through my gut and I leaned in. "Who's coming, Birch? When and why?"

"Askari... Volturi... Rogue heir and rivals..." his voice faded into incoherent mutterings. His struggles ended, however, and his breathing eased. We all waited for him to say more, but in the end he simply fell asleep."

I sighed and stood, running a hand through my hair. When I spoke, my voice was muted so as not to disturb him. "We should let him sleep, he's exhausted. We can find out more when he awakes."

"If he remembers anything," Archer muttered.

"...if he remembers." I conceded then sighed again. "Nothing is ever easy," I grumbled.

Aria looked between me and Birch then said, "Well, it's obvious, isn't it? The Askari and the Volturi are coming for us."

I heard low growls in the Cullen's throats and felt the anger spark in my tribe. "Easy, now." I said, trying to placate them. "We don't know enough. Kara'til are confusing and uncertain, especially from those who are new and untrained, and Birch is the epitome of both those things. Perhaps the Askari are trying to hunt me down to reinstate me as heir, and the Volturi are interested because we have grown close to the Cullens. It's unlikely," I grumbled, "but the point is we won't know anything until Birch wakes up."

"So we're not going to do anything?" Rafael asked, stunned.

I grinned wolfishly, "Now, I never said that. Perhaps they're coming for a completely pleasant reason, afternoon tea and all that, but we are going to prepare as if they're coming to attack. We _are_ woefully unprepared, anyways. We've been slacking while we settled down and you all know that," I flashed my Tribe knowing looks and they diverted their eyes.

"So what do you have in mind?" Alice asked, worried.

I considered it for a moment. "We'll move at different levels of severity depending on what Birch can tell us once he wakes up. Regardless of what he tells us, we need to stock up our house, fortify it, and practice our battle techniques. That's something we should have done already anyways. If the Askari and Volturi are coming for pleasant or nonthreatening reasons, I still want us, your family, and the wolves up to their prime fighting abilities. If Birch isn't sure why they're coming, we are going to outfit everyone as if they were attacking, and if we are certain they mean us harm, I'm calling the dragons." I said, thinking out loud and chewing my lip in thought.

Emmett's exuberant 'whoop' of a response startled me out of my reverie. "Yeah! We'll get to see a dragon? For real?"

I looked at him, startled, and said, "If two of the most powerful organizations of supernaturals on the planet are coming here with uncertain or deadly intent, yes, you will get to see a dragon, but if that is the case I should hope more important things will be on your mind instead."

He seemed to weigh the pros and cons for a moment, so I turned back to my tribe, uncertain I'd like his response. Alia spoke, saying, "You want to try and get Silverleaf or Ares to back us up? We've got friends in high places and none of them are too fond of your family, Bells."

I nodded slowly, considering. "Perhaps. Silverleaf and his boys would help but only if we were likely to win, you know how they are. I doubt the gods would want to get involved but I might be able to call in some favors." I shrugged.

"Wait, wait, by Ares and gods do you _really_ mean like... Greek Gods?" Edward asked, blinking rapidly a few times.

I raised my brows. "I do. Our patron is Gaia, after all. The gods are Hunter's half siblings, though some receive us better than others. The power balance between us is fragile. Five Hunters could best one God, usually, but that depends on the battle and which God or Goddess. Ares owes me a favor because I bet him my tribe would win in a skirmish with the undead a few years ago, and he lost."

"Are you all so... _casual_, with the gods?" Carlisle asked. I noticed Edward had a pretty pained look on his face, but I planned on addressing that later.

I opened my mouth to answer Carlisle, but Rafael got to it before me. "Not all of us, no. The best Hunters and Clan leaders are usually recognized by the gods, at least in some minor way. They exchange gifts on holidays and sometimes attend each others feasts. Then, of course, there's Bella." He said, rolling his eyes. "The gods adore her-"

"Excuse me?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Okay, well, _most_ of the gods adore her," he amended. "She's something else, though we've discussed this already, even the gods agree and it's nigh impossible to get them all to agree on anything! Everyone agrees that she is something more, and because of that she is welcomed among them as an equal. Zeus and Hera attended her birth, Artemis helped teach her how to track and Apollo helped teach her how to shoot a bow. All this on the down-low, mind you, because one thing the gods do _not_ like is the Askari clan."

"Why?" Jasper asked, curious.

I sighed, answering before anyone else could throw in their two cents. "My family has corrupted the way of the Hunters. We're the most prominent clan, you know, so we get a lot of requests. The gods count on us to keep the supernaturals in check while they watch over the regular mortals. If they have a problem, they go to my family for assistance, but my family plays it all like a game. They do everything for power and what they think is honor. They like to have everyone in the palm of their hand, and the gods don't like that one bit. Eventually, when I caught on to what my parents were doing, I went to the gods myself and offered our services to them. So my tribe and I are close to them, they might help us."

"Will they be significant in the struggle?" Jasper asked, a military nature showing through.

Archer laughed. "When Bella said the gods are nearly on par with hunters, she didn't mean normal hunters, she meant herself. The gods are on _Bella's_, level, even if their skills are a bit more centralized. Imagine, twelve Bella's assisting us? That'd be fantastic."

"I doubt all twelve would come, though. They have duties as well."

"But if it means hammering a blow against your family? Who knows," Rafael shrugged.

I held my hands up in surrender. "Fine! Fine. I'll ask, but _first_, we need to go to the closest Underground. That is first on our to-do list." Before the Cullens could ask I turned to them and said, "Think of the underground like a Supernatural Market. It's kept secret from many, but it's the best place to get anything you need, and I do mean _anything_." I began making a mental list of everything we would need, but Alice's gasp pulled me back to reality.

"Shopping?" she gasped. "Oh, Bella, can I come? _Please_, please please?"

I laughed at her exuberance. "Well..." I considered. I'd love to have her there of course, but it was dangerous for a vampire to go where other Supernaturals congregated. The thing is, the very human supernaturals, those that can pass for humans, are generally treated like humans by the others who are forced into secrecy. When they interact with mortals so closely its more likely for word of the entire secret world to sleep. Therefore, when vampires and other creatures like shapeshifters and halfbloods of any sort are spotted in completely supernatural places, hostility occurs more often than not.

Alice, privy to my thoughts, pouted. "Oh, come on! Please! I've been to every kind of store and boutique imaginable, and now you wave this new exotic market in front of me and then nothing! I promise to behave, and you can protect me, can't you?" She stepped up into my arms, full blown puppy dog eyes boring into my soul.

I sighed, "But if something went wrong, if something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself." She sensed that I was about to give in and grinned.

"You'll just have to be on your best behavior then, won't you?" She smiled at me and I smirked a dry, humorless smirk.

"I suppose so. Fine! I'd just be cranky the whole time without you there anyways."

Alice laughed her happiness, hugging me as tight as she dared. Emmett or Rafael or one of the other boys or all of them made a sound similar to the noise of a whip cracking but I didn't care as my mate pulled my head down and kissed me quickly, much to the appreciation of the boys in the room.

I sighed and pulled back, smiling at her despite all the attention. "I don't want to leave your family unprotected though, so we're going to be going as soon as possible. Tomorrow, in fact. Birch I'm sure will still need to recover and I'd like to have one of us at the Rez too, hopefully Holly won't mind."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Rafael shrugged.

"Yeah, where is Holly?" Esme asked. "I meant to ask earlier, but we were a bit preoccupied."

Alice growled, "She hit Bella for traumatizing the wolves then split."

Esme frowned. "Oh dear."

"It's fine, she'll come around. By dinner tonight all will be right in the world" I smiled. "Though I will need lists from her and birch as to what to buy for them." I looked down to my still sleeping tribe mate. "Those can wait though. For now, I want to start setting up a defensive perimeter around our land. If worse comes to worse, we might even need to move the wolves and your family here for protection."

Emmett guffawed. "Wolves and Vamps living under on roof? I'm sorry Bella, but hell would freeze over before that ever happened."

I grinned, "We'll see."

Birch didn't wake up until late that evening and by then we had all moved back to the Tribe's house. We had made good use of our time as well in weaving a barrier of spells along our property line that had a variety of uses. Depending on what we activated when and on who, we could blind attackers, deafen them, weaken them, slow them down or, if worse came to worse, incinerate them. The spells were ones I had made myself then taught to my tribe, so I doubted anyone in my Clan would be able to unweave them, but depending on how many Hunters and vampires they brought along they might just be overwhelmed and less effective. Still, it was better than nothing. We soundproofed and spell proofed our house, particularly the basement where we would be discussing our tactics and strategies. I didn't want anyone in my Clan to scry us and be able to get an upper hand. We took a complete inventory of our stock of weapons, poisons, traps, spell scrolls, and other baubles and like I had predicted, we were horribly unprepared.

I was in the middle of frowning over my own stock list, Alice sitting beside me and examining my favorite bow, when Rafael came pounding up the stairs. "Birch is up." He said simply before disappearing down the hall to inform Alia and Archer.

Alice and I took one look at one another before scrambling up ourselves and jogging down the stairs. In a matter of moments we were all crowded around the sofa where Birch sat blearily rubbing his eyes. He groaned, "Ugh, I feel like I was kicked by a centaur. Did Raf spike my drink with pixie dust again?"

I grinned a bit, "No Birch, it was something else. How do you feel? What... what do you remember?"

He rubbed his eyes once more and looked around at all of us, a frown forming on his face. "Well... well, I remember the fight with the wolves, then Holly running off, the the Cullens came over, then we made the map, then you got Rosalie pregnant-"

"That just sounds weird," Emmett chuckled.

"Don't interrupt," Esme said, flicking Emmett on the shoulder.

"Sorry." He said, chided.

"Then," birch continued, "then..." He clutched at his head and winced. "Oh gods. What the hell happened? It's all... jumbled." He swayed as vertigo swept over him.

"Easy, there." I said, reaching a hand out to his shoulder to steady him. "You were overtaken by a Kara'til, Birch. You said something during your fit about the Askari and the Volturi. Do you remember anything about that?"

Birch paled and dread filled my stomach. "Yeah... I do. Sort of. There were dozens of them. Maybe even a hundred, I saw troops running through our woods. But there were all sorts of ideas and thoughts swirled in too. Something about the wolves and you being a rogue and children... and a take over. It's all mixed up."

I sat back and sighed. "Alright. No, that's good, now we know that they will be hostile. Do you know what sparked this all, Birch? Or when the attack will come?"

His brow furrowed as he thought hard. "I think... I think your grandmother plotted it all. She must have scryed us and the wolves and the Cullens all together. I think _she_ told the Volturi..."

"And that would be just the excuse Aro has always wanted to take us out, wouldn't it?" Edward asked. "Not only are they gaining favor with the Askari by helping take us all down, they can do it under the guise that we were mounting a force against them. Or that we've made an immortal child, if Rosalie has given birth by then."

Rosalie's hands moved over her stomach and she hissed. "If they think they will come between my child and I, they will be in for the surprise of a lifetime." Emmett growled beside her and looked downright scary.

"If I have my way, they won't get anywhere close, don't you worry," I said solemnly. I turned to Birch, "Tomorrow Me, Raf, Alia, Archer, and Alice are going to the Underground. Can you watch after the Cullens while you recuperate? Holly is going to keep an eye on the wolves too."

He just nodded, rubbing his temples.

"Also, when you're up to it, get word to Thorskir. I'm sure he'll want a piece of this."

Birch grinned weakly. "Glad to do it."

"Good." I said, straightening to look at everyone, my tribe in particular. "We're officially on the defensive. I want patrols set up and a scrying pool to be monitored once every hour. There will four hour training sessions once a day for everyone between patrols, and I want every Hunter, Vampire, and Wolf outfitted with charms, armor, and weapons. We should be able to make most things. That reminds me, Birch, while we're gone tomorrow I need you and probably Emmett to make a forge. You know the schematics."

He nodded and Emmett grinned.

"I'll get a word in with the gods and Silverleaf's elves, maybe some Werewolves. They should have more than enough reason to go up against the Volturi."

Carlisle's brows furrowed. "Bella... what do you think the outcome will be from this if we succeed? As odd as it will sound, the world needs the Volturi and the Askari."

I sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when it comes. For now they are an opposing force bent on the destruction of my family. All three of them," I grinned. I looked out the window to see the sun had sunk below the horizon. "For now, it's been a long and tiring day. I recommend you all hunt tonight, as the danger you will face going too far out will only increase as time goes on. We all need to rest, and early tomorrow we'll leave for Seattle."

"Seattle?" Alice asked, brows furrowing, wondering where on earth a giant Market could be hidden in a city she had frequented quite often.

"You'll see," I smiled, sweeping her into my arms and letting my fears slide away, just for a moment.

My internal clock woke me just as the sun breached the horizon. I yawn and blinked, sitting up. Yesterday's events crashed down around me and I sighed. _You're awake!_ Alice thought exuberantly. _I'll be there in two minutes!_

I laughed and pushed my acceptance through the link, feeling it was too early for words just yet. I stood and moved to a chest on the ground that held my clothes. No mortal gear for me today, I had to kit out if I was going to the Underground. I pulled on black leather armor, both a short sleeved jerkin and breaches. On top of the jerkin I slipped an additional piece of boiled black leather that held shoulder guards as well. I fastened on arm guards, both top and bottom, and each with hidden knives slipped inside. I pulled on knee high boots that had concealed throwing knives in the sides and soles, and slipped an enchanted dagger down the right side. I pulled on fingerless gloves that would keep my palms from tearing and blistering if we were caught in a fight. I clasped on a black and silver wrought belt with hidden pouches and pockets for money and of course my Hunter things like rawhides, poisons, healing herbs, and stones for more precise casting. I clipped on a sheath and pulled my favorite sword, my prized possession, from the bottom of the chest.

I had made it when I was twelve. The smithing methods I had used were a mixture of completely new innovations I had designed and techniques long lost to time, but retaught to me by a variety of dragons and Hephaestus himself. The steel was a mixture of springy elfish steel, dragons scales and even diamonds. Elvish steel was made from deep ores and fallen space rocks, refined to perfection, and gave the metal a springy nature. The dragons scales hardened it, made it nearly impossible to break and also their very nature allowed my sword to become hexproof, as dragon scales naturally reflected magic. The diamonds allowed me to store spells and enchantments within the blade, and damn, was this thing loaded down. It was charmed to be as light as a feather, yet heavier than anyone could lift if they were trying to use it without my permission. The blade could transform into a variety of different elements, such as fire or electricity or ice, depending on what would be most effective against which targets. It could never be lost, with would always appear back in my sheathe. It would never dull or break or rust, and that was barely scratching the surface. It was a priceless creation and I had named it _Archangel_.

Finally, the last piece of equipment I donned was a golden and gem encrusted amulet signifying just who I was. It was the personal design for my tribe. It was stitched on the breast pad of the rest of my tribe's armor too, but as the leader, I wore it around my neck. It was a soaring dragon surrounded by vines and flames. An onyx night sky sprinkled with diamond stars made up the background, while the silver dragon had been engraved the perfection, noting even the smallest details. The emerald vines swirled around ruby and amber and topaz flames. Runes had been engraved around it as well charming the amulet against theft and charming be for luck and prosperity. Mostly I just liked the way it made people move out of my way when I walked. Sure, I had a bit of a reputation. Well, maybe a bit more than 'a bit.'

_I cant imagine why, Miss. 'Consorts with Gods.' _Alice thought sarcastically.

I laughed, _Oh hush._

I finally stalked out of my room, heels clicking on the ground as I walked down the hall, banging on bedroom doors as I went. "Up and at 'em, kiddos! Busy day ahead of us!" I heard universal grumbling, but it was accompanied by the rustling of bed covers and sheets so I knew they were getting up. I vaulted over the bannister too impatient for stairs and made my way to the kitchen. I was three fourths of the way done when the rest of my tribe came stumbling down the stairs in similar get-ups to mine, rubbing sleep from their eyes. "I've really let you rogues go soft, you know." I said, rolling my eyes. "I know for a fact each of you are trained to work on two hours of sleep. _I'm_ the one who trained you to do it! Perk up or were running drills for six hours instead of four."

Fear flitted in each up them and they stood up straight and at attention, eyes wide.

"That's more like it." I muttered, scooping copious amounts of eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, fruit slices, and biscuits onto platters. I levitated them all to the kitchen table and carried two pitchers of milk and orange juice over, along with a pot of coffee. "Dig in," I said as they all seated themselves.

"Good morning to you, too!" Raf snickered, shoveling food onto his plate.

"Don't you sass me or so help me, I will ground you." I said dryly.

Alia smirked, "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Usually you only mother us like this when we've disappointed you."

"Nah, she's just-" Raf started just as the front door swung open and Alice skipped inside.

"Good morning!" She said and I grinned.

"See! All better." Rafael snickered along with the rest of the Tribe.

"Raf, so help me, I will turn this car around," I joked and stood to sweep Alice into a kiss. I ignored the cat calls and wolf whistles. "Good morning to you, too."

Alice held me at an arms length, looking me up and down, examining my gear. Her thought train and me blushing and grinning at the same time. "Nice leather," Alice smirked. "I approve."

"I'm happy to hear it," I smirked right back.

"Bella, I really don't wanna barf up all I just ate, so if you two could tone it down just a pinch?" Archer grinned.

"Hush," I said and with a wave of my hand dissipated the remaining food on his plate, transporting it straight to the garbage can.

"Hey!" He said, indignant, much to the amusement of his sister.

"Sorry, but I figured if you were feeling nauseous you should probably stop there." I shrugged as Raf and Birch started choking from their laughter. I looked to the clock on the wall and frowned. "Actually, we should probably all get going. I want to be in Seattle by ten."

My tribe finished eating in seconds flat and we used magic to clean up the dishes to save time. Birch and Holly double checked their lists to make sure everything they needed was accounted for then handed them off to me. We all headed outside and our Companions materialized beside us. Loki, in solid form, nuzzled me and bowed to Alice, who giggled. We bid Holly and Birch adieu and they each took off in opposite directions. Those of us that remained mounted our companions as well and doubled checked gear and coin one last time. I sat Alice in front of me where it would be easier to ride, as she was less experienced.

"You ready?" I asked with a smile.

She nodded, grinning broadly. I could feel her excitement through our link and I laughed.

"Alright then! Let's move out!" I called, wrapping an arm around Alice's waist and grabbing a handful of the fur on Loki's scruff. Loki gave a happy howl and then we were off, Seattle bound.

**A/N: So, what'd you think! I saw some nice guesses in the review, but alas, no dice xD I hope I can make up for my long absence with some rockin' chapters in the future! Again, I love you all!**

**Also, if you didn't catch it at the top, if you've got the time please check out .com(forwardslash) **

**It's a very active (140+ members) and friendly Wolf RP, which I am a member on! My username there is Artemis, so if you'd like to practice writing, RP a bit, chat with me, make an account! If you're not super familiar with the whole process shoot me a PM either here or on the above mentioned site and I'll answer any questions! It would mean a lot for you to try it out, thanks in advance!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: ANOTHER update! Dang, I am just on fire! Not literally though, that would be... really unfortunate. Oh well, here ya are! Enjoy! This is largely filler, but I also hope it gives you all a celarer picture of just what the 'underground' world of the Supernaturals is like.**

_"You ready?" I asked with a smile._

_ She nodded, grinning broadly. I could feel her excitement through our link and I laughed._

"Alright then! Let's move out!" I called, wrapping an arm around Alice's waist and grabbing a handful of the fur on Loki's scruff. Loki gave a happy howl and then we were off, Seattle bound. The trip was a lot quicker I would have expected, and we move fast on our Companions anyways, but that was mostly because Alice was entertaining me through our mind link with all sorts of memories from her past. Rafael was the first to interrupt us, and I got the feeling that he got a certain amused pleasure to do it.

"Alright, Lover Girl. Welcome back to reality, look sharp, we're almost there."

I sighed and zoned back into the real world, finding that he was in fact telling the truth. We were a few miles away from downtown Seattle in a pretty seedy part of town. Railroad tracks ran ahead of us, decrepit buildings, old and broken down with their windows boarded up, lined the streets. Bella had long ago cast a glamour over them so they walked along the near deserted streets with impunity.

Alice looked around eagerly, waiting to catch a glimpse of some big, teeming metropolis but eventually, brows furrowed, she asked, "Where is this Underground?"

I smiled down at her and looked out, pointing at an old warehouse directly in front of us, glass broken out of nearly every window. A barbed wire fence enclosed it and a weed-ridden parking lot, deserted, surrounded it. It's walls were made of dirty red brick and it's roof was made of tin. All and all a hobo's hang out, and no place for civilized folk to go. Alice looked ahead, studying the building intensely, but didn't comment. I looked to my tribe, finding that they were waiting for my signal. I smiled and nodded and out companions took a few running bounds then leaped over the tall wire barrier. We landed smoothly on the other side, running now just for the hell of it. I called a halt, however, as we reached the front doors. What appeared to be a hobo, grizzly and old and ragged, slumped against the door with a liquor bottle in his hand. He looked up at us through completely black eyes, no white to be found, and smiled.

Alice stiffened, probably at his unique scent, and I thought to her, _It's just an imp, a minor demon. They can change shape and cast minor curses, but they're weak and for the most part harmless. Don't worry._

"Names and race?" He asked, his voice slurred.

I brandished my amulet in front of him and said, "Bella Ravensage of the Askari and Hunter. If you need to know anything else I suppose you really are a drunken hobo."

The old man just grinned, revealing blackened and missing teeth, then stood and pulled open the doors. Instead of opening into the building they revealed a tunnel illuminated by torches hung on the walls. "Enjoy your day at the Underground, missus. There will be no unprovoked fighting, no unprovoked killing and we ask that you refrain from making arrests in the Market area. Makes others nervous, like."

I smirked at the imp and nodded, leading my tribe through the door. I noticed that as soon as we stepped foot inside the building all of us, save for Alice of course, had a hand on our weapon of choice. It was reflex, we had been trained that way, but we were also right to be nervous. The Undergrounds tended to be seedy places, like Black Markets and biker bars and back alleys all mixed into one.

_How many places like this are there?_ Alice asked.

_They're actually pretty numerous. Most every city capitol has one and most major cities do as well, then of course there are wilderness markets and trading posts too if you know where to look. Supernaturals all have cities within cities. They're everywhere if you are in tune with your magic enough to see them._

_ That is wicked cool, _she smiled.

_I'm glad you approve,_ I bantered, pulling her into my side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. _Not much farther now, stay close to me._

_No arguments there,_ she said, eying a pair of goblins as they shoved past us, watching carefully from the corners of their eyes.

We had descended probably two hundred feet down and the air was cold and clammy. Even though the path beneath our feet was cobbled with smooth stones, the walls were bare dirt aside from the occasional wooden support. The air had a slimy, noxious feel to it, as if it were heavy with the depth we had walked down into. The torches grew closer and closer together the closer we got to the end of the tunnel. We passed another pair of ogres, hulking muscled gray creatures with tusks protruding upwards from their lower jaw, and Alice shivered at the smell of rotting meat that surrounded them. I patted her shoulder once more before we finally found the end of the tunnel. These double doors were much more impressive, thick wood wrought with iron and masterfully carved. Two guards, undead wraiths with pasty gray skin and hollow eye sockets, watched up as hissed as we approached.

"Quiet, you." Alia said, putting on her Hunter persona. We had also been trained that since we were at the top of the food chain we had to act like that, even though no one in my tribe liked to do so. However none of us liked wraiths, they gave us goose flesh and had a tendency to make you feel cold all over. "Show some respect for the heir apparent to the Askari and move aside."

"Rogue heir, the way I hear it," one rasped out in a dry chuckle. His voice was that of a very elderly man gargling gravel.

"I don't believe we asked your opinion." Rafael sneered, holding up a palm illuminated in flames. Nothing killed the undead quite so easily as fire. It consumed up their dry, withered bodies like they were soaked in gasoline.

The wraiths stiffened and pushed open the doors, moving aside without another word. We stepped forward and I heard Alice let out a small, "Wow," muted but still apparent. I smiled down at her wide eyes as she ranged them all over, taking in every detail.

The small path we had been walking down turned into a cobbled street in front of us, wide and bustling with traffic of all sizes, genders, and races. Shops, very medieval in appearance, leaned over the streets and sidewalks. Torches, larger now, stoop upright in holders and had been spelled to burn as bright as any street lamp. Stalls lined the side of the roads, decorated in silks and banners, and vendors walked among the crowds with trays set before them, supported by ropes slung over their shoulders, and both sold a mind boggling variety of items. Sweets and spices, weapons, gems and ore, toys and trinkets, jewelry and baubles, clothes, spells books and scrolls. We walked farther in and saw dozens of streets turning off the first and expanding into thousands of new shops and opportunities. Taverns and inns dotted the corners, bards and other musicians stood outside to play for tips or shout out news.

This particular Underground was vast, and while I wasn't explicitly familiar with it, I think it encompassed approximately six square miles. The permanent shops and buildings rung around the edges, but my favorite part of any Underground was what could be found in the middle. The shops started to thin, allowing more space to stand between them, while standing stalls and walking vendors increased in numbers. Finally, we broke free of the buildings and once again Alice gasped. A maze of standing stalls stood before us, wafting a million different scents into the air. There must have been thousands of stalls, all selling something different, all unique. The sheer amount of creatures and races surrounding us would have been enough to ogle at all on their own. However, the most impressive part of this market was that it was not lit by torch light. From the ceiling hung down a massive crystal, a Sun Stone, that naturally exuded sun light. As such, gardens and flowers were dotted around, small pools holding fish lined walkways. There was even a deep moat/river structure that rung around the edge of the standing stall market and if you looked down into it you could see merpeople as they swum past. I grabbed Alice by the hand and began towing her into the crowd as my tribe babbled on excitedly about what they would purchase.

There wasn't a lot of organization to this place, except for the fact that races generally tended to stick together. There was roughly an elven section, a dwarfish section, a goblin section, and werecreature section, so on and so forth. Beyond that, it was a hit or miss experience. "So what all do you need to get, Bella?" Archer asked, coming to walk on the other side of me.

I pulled my list from my pocket as we pushed our way into the crowd. "I wanted supplies to make a few new volleys of arrows, some raw materials to craft with once we get our forge set up. I had this idea of making spell proof armor for the wolves."

"That sounds like a good idea," Raf said appreciatively.

"Thanks. I also wanted to either buy pre-made poisons or mix some of my own, in which case I'll need ingredients for that. I wanted to buy some charms for the wolves and the rest of the Cullens, too. I'm not sure if I'm going to make weapons for the Cullens, give them some of my own, or buy news ones. All in all I'm just going to buy anything I think will come in handy in, uh, _the future_." I said evasively. There were eyes and ears everywhere in the Underground, spies for all sorts of different factions and guilds.

"Sounds good to me," Rafael said. "I just wanted to update my armor and maybe get a new dirk. Mine's balance is off."

Some furtive movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I spun around, latching onto a wrist that had been reaching for one of the satchels on my belt. I looked into the frightened eyes of a young elvish boy, all blond hair and silver eyes and trembling lips. He wore light leather armor over a rough spun tunic and breaches. He, in his panic, tried to tug out of my grip but it was held firm.

"You'll not be picking my pocket today, lad." I said, looking down at him with a stern gaze. I gave him a once over then asked, "What's your name?"

"Hivin, ma'am."

"You in a guild, Hivin?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." He stuttered.

"Are you an apprentice yet?"

"N-no ma'am. Still training."

Ah. "Let me guess. You're one of Silverleaf's street rats he took in, training you the art of thievery and all that."

He seemed to frightened to answer.

"Do you know what I am, Hivin?"

"A H-hunter." He stuttered, real fear flashing in his eyes.

"Correct. Now, do you know _who_ I am?"

"N-no, I don't."

I sighed and let the wrist go. "My name is Bella, of the Askari. And you better count yourself damn lucky it was my pocket you tried a hand at and not anyone else from my family. They would have had you gutted and flayed. I'll let you go on the condition that you run along back to Arin _right now_ and tell him I'm here and I want to talk to him."

The pale boy was gone back into the crowds before I could get another word in. We, along with some other spectators, eyed the spot he had disappeared to. "Well," Rafael finally broke in. "That was lucky."

"Very true. Hopefully Arin doesn't take his time."

"So, what just happened?" Alice asked, looking up at me. I spent the next few minutes explaining how Hunter's had the right to arrest and punish as the saw fit, any time and any place. As such we commanded a lot of respect, and that Hivin had tried to pick a Hunter's pocket was a massive mistake on his part. I should have, by law, been able to run him through with my sword then and there. However, he was not only a young boy but a member of Arin Silverleaf's thieving guild, who happened to be one of the contacts I had hoped to come across today.

By the time I had finished we were deep in the dwarfish section of the stalls. Rafael had pulled us over once already to purchase a dozen spelled arrow tips, all copper and silver. I promised to tell Alice the meaning behind the different metals as soon as we got home, and she settled for me explaining the currency now. "Well, see, there's three coin types. Copper," I held up a small coin about the size of a dime, "Silver," I held up another about the size of a quarter, "And Gold." The last coin I held up was not round, but rectangular was was and inch and a half long, and three-quarters of an inch wide with a rectangular section cut out of it's middle. "One silver is worth twenty coppers, and one gold is worth ten silvers. Therefore, there are two hundred coppers in one gold piece. To put that in perspective, Rafael's arrow tips cost him five coppers for a dozen, whereas I could likely buy a good war horse for fifteen to twenty gold, but I could get a regular riding steed for maybe just five gold. However, you can also barter anything and anywhere, and most vendors accept trading goods for goods. I might trade a cut emerald for a horse instead of the coin, if that were agreeable."

"That is really cool," Alice said, eyes ranging around us once more.

"Ah, there's my Bella! Long time no see!" A rich male voice called out from behind us and I turned, a smirk on my face. The crowded street way cleared to give us room, should we decide to kill one another, yet not so much that the pedestrians wouldn't have a good view. Standing about fifteen feet behind us was a tall and lean elf, looking about twenty five years old. His hair was vibrant shining silver and his eyes were a deep sapphire blue. His skin was pale as moonlight and he had a scar running from his right eyebrow down past his eye and into the middle of his cheek. He was flanked by three grinning elves on both sides. The air was tense.

I stepped forward, one eyebrow raised, but finally broke into a wide grin and extended an arm. He clasped my forearm into his with an equal smile and said, "And what the hell have you been up to, you little vagrant you!"

"Oh, causing havoc as per usual." I spotted Hivin hanging back in the crowd. "You need to train your Sneaks better, Arin. I'm disappointed in you, honestly."

Arin rolled his eyes and muttered, "Now don't you go blaming me for that tyke's failings. It's on his own head. Anyways, I hear you have need of me?" He winked, the scamp.

I cuffed him around the ears. "I do, but it's nothing we can discuss here and now. Do you have a better place and a better time?"

He tapped his chin in thought. "You know, I do. I'm sure you passed the Wet Wolf Tavern on your way here?"

I nodded that we had.

"Well, that's my building now. Come by when you're done here and we'll talk then. Am I to believe there is benefit to be had for all sides?"

I rolled my eyes and mocked a wounded heart, "You injure me, sir! Have I ever let you down before?"

He tipped his head back and laughed. "No, you haven't. Right then, I'll see you later today?"

"Absolutely." I grinned. We turned opposite ways and disappeared back into the now murmuring crowds.

Alice gasped and grabbed my wrist, dragging me along and we were off again. I did my very best to ignore the glares and glances sent our way by the others within the market place. Normally as Hunters we would get respectful bows and salutes, genuine from those who actually recognized my tribe and I and forced by those who didn't, but now that we had a vampire with us that courtesy was no longer extended. Vampires were widely distrusted by the other Supernatural races, and Alice having sensed this from my thoughts, inquired about it.

_Well, think of it like this, _I ventured. _Say your household had a secret,_ I smiled down at her, _that no one else could know about, that your whole way of life depended on. You trust the others that live with you, but that's it. Then out of no where your cousins come to stay with you. They might be related to you but you're never sure if you can trust them or not, because they may be like you but they aren't you. So even though vampires are still supernaturals, they're the cousins. No one in the true undercover __family thinks you're trustworthy._

_ I can understand that with most vampires. Most vampires would sell their own mothers for a day old corpse, but we Cullens are different!_

I brought her to my side and held her there. _I know that but they don't. Don't worry though, by __the time this whole business with the Volturi and Askari is over, no Supernatural in the world won't know your name or just how different you all are, _I smirked down at her, pridefully.

She grimaced, _I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing._

I chuckled. "Now that's a good way to think of if. Thinking like a true Supernatural for sure."

I looked back to see Rafael grinning at our private exchange, and Alia stepped up to Alice and gave her an affectionate punch in the arm. I knew that they were all happy to see that I had found the one I was destined to be with, regardless of gender or species. Sure they teased me about mine and Alice's bond and interactions but I also knew they were genuinely proud of me at the same time. Alice smiled up at my thoughts just before spotting yet another jewelry stall and dragging us over.

Our market day ended hours later. I had purchased three sets of throwing knives, one set spelled to ignite upon impact and one spelled to pass through wards and spell barriers, and one set free of any enchantments that I would spell on my own, as well as upgrade the spells on the previous blades. I bought a satchel of herbs and medicines, as well as a blank leather bound journal I could record all my newly woven spells in. I bought a few new bowstrings and approximately three dozen blank medallions to make amulets, and a whole pouch full of gemstones to charm. I bought some fire traps and smoke bombs from a goblin vendor and some paper spells that were premade to act as sentry points from an elf. I also loaded up on new bestiaries and spell tomes, as well as scrolls and journals on everything from poison recipes to fighting techniques to mountain troll social habits.

The rest of my tribe all bought similar items and we made certain to pick up everything Birch and Holly requested and then some. On Rafael's insistence, on our way our of the Marketplace, we picked up a few ingots of various metals to be used to make weapons. He proposed that we would teach the Cullens how to smith their own blades. The connection that was birthed by making your own sword or blade was an immense and intricate one, one even I didn't understand completely, and Raf theorized it would give them an important edge. I couldn't agree more. Finally we clawed our way back to the torchlit streets of the more city-like sections of the Underground. Alia pulled us to the side to grab some snacks, claiming she was starving even though I reminded her we were on our way to a tavern. She dismissed my logic and insisted on buying all of us, save Alice of course, roasted and skewered meats as well as honey glazed and fried dough balls coated in spices. They were delicious and even Alice, tasting what I tasted through our link, was impressed and a bit envious.

Finally, after practically dragging them all along and uttering many a 'No, we are not stopping for _another_ weapons caravan,' we made our way to stand before the Wet Wolf Tavern. It was an impressive building, four stories tall and who knew how many floors extended below the surface. The doorway was clean and the sidewalk outside had been swept clean and there were even miniature roses growing in the flower boxes beneath the windows. You could hear raucous drinking songs from inside accompanied by the melodies of fiddles and lutes and lyres. Alice beamed, excited for yet another new experience. By tribe, a bit more wary than she was, flanked me on both sides as I pushed m way through the doors. Some of the clamor died down at our appearance and I noticed several rushers dart out doors to go tell who ever had them in their service that five hunters and a vampire had just busted in. On another night I might set a tracker spell on just such people to see who was in enough trouble with the law that they had runners on the look out for Hunters, but not tonight. This was a business occasion.

One of Arin's right hand men, an elf and close friend of mine named Filo, swaggered up to us with a broad grin on his face, wearing all black and silver. "Bout time you showed up! C'mon, the boss is upstairs."

"Lead the way, Master Stickyfingers," I bantered. This was my title for most any thief I was on good terms with and they knew it. Filo laughed, leading us up two stair cases. He came to a stop outside of a plain wooden door and bowed, mockingly but a bow none the less.

"Right through here, Missus Sharpwit," he made a broad sweeping gesture and I curtsied.

"Why thank you, kind sir!" I said in my sweetest southern accent.

He tipped an imaginary hat, saying only, "Ma'am," before turning with a cocky grin and traipsing back downstairs.

I rolled my eyes and rapped on the door three times with my knuckles. It swung open to reveal a young boy, older than Hivin and likely one of Arin's true apprentices, more skilled than Hivin and a likely prospect for a future thief. This one was, as was the rest of Arin's gang, an elf but he had the inky dark hair of a mountain elf as opposed to the blond and silvers of forest-dwelling elves, along with amber eyes. He stepped aside and allowed us to pass into the ornate room. There were plush rugs on the floor, jewel encrusted weapons hung on the walls, gilded furniture, paintings, even silver oil lamps on the walls and I would bet my own sword that none of it was bought through legal means. Well, I suppose thieving crime lords were rarely poor.

Arin sat in front of us, along with five of his closest men, in a semicircle around fire place. Chairs had been laid out for us as well to complete the circle. Arin, having seen us come in, was looking up at us with a smirk on his face. "Nice to see you could make it."

"I said I'd be here and here we are. I'm pulling a solid 'you owe me,' Arin." I raised my eyebrows at him, wanting to get straight down to business.

"Oh, calm down Bella. I haven't seen you in nearly a year, can we at least _try_ to catch up?" He borderline whined.

I rolled my eyes, indulging him with a small smile. "How's this. Let me tell you my story and then if you have any more questions about 'what I've been up to,'" I air quoted, "you can ask me then."

"Deal." He said, sitting back with a grin.

I too sat back and started from the beginning. I spoke of how the corruption in the Askari was getting out of hand, how I had had enough of it, and the fight that had caused us to leave. I told him all about moving to Forks and finding the Cullens, I told him about Holly and I finding our soul mates, and to that he offered his congratulations. I told him about the shapeshifters and I told him about Rosalie's pregnancy and how Birch had come into his gift, followed up closely by the danger we had been alerted to. I explained my plan to him, how I meant to defend my new families and how I needed help. After all this was finished, Arin and his council regarded me with carrying expressions and emotions.

Arin for one looked thoughtful. He had a hand on his chin and his gaze kept flickering from my face, to Alice's, and back again. "Well," he said finally. "It sounds like you've gotten yourself into a heap of trouble again, as per usual."

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for that brilliant observation, I hadn't noticed. We will be contacting the dragons within the week and I mean to contact Olympus as well. Would you be interested in a piece of this? I know my family has been cruel to you all in the past."

His expression darkened. "Cruel indeed, and a mild way to phrase it besides. Still though, beyond petty revenge, I'm not seeing a lot of benefit for our group. You have to understand my angle, Bella. These boys and girls here look to me for not only coin but safety and protection. I wouldn't feel right sending them into a dangerous battle for something as petty as closed trade routes and unfair trials..." He still seemed to be thinking, so I waited him out. Arin Silverleaf was young, some thought too young to be leading such a numerous and well-endowed band of thieves, but that was because they didn't know him. What Arin lacked in years he made up for in sheer genius and tactical abilities, as well as cunning and guile.

He continued on, "May I offer and alternate plan? An added goal that would make everyone's tea a bit sweeter?" He grinned again.

_Oh boy,_ I thought. _Here we go_. "By all means, suggest away."

He leaned forward, making a steeple with his fingers. "Hear me out, Bella. I propose that your goal should no simply be defensive, but offensive."

I frowned. "How so?"

"You've told me that the Askari are corrupt. Well, we all knew that already, but the way you portray it makes it sound as if things are headed to an even darker place. Not even those with the coin and power can work the system anymore, not even the Gods. That can't happen Bella, you know that. The entire world depends on the Askari to keep us shadowed and secure. If they can't do their job then they need to be replaced."

My jaw clenched and I asked, "And what are you suggesting?"

He smiled, "Why my dear, nothing short of a revolution."

"No." I deadpanned. "The entire reason we left was because I didn't want to lead."

He held up a finger, "Ah, yes, and so that you could run your _own_ missions the right way. This doesn't need to be any different, you know, except you would get more clients and be able to help more people and have more tribes under your power. You could clear the corruption from your family name and change things, Bella."

I scoffed. "I'll entertain you fairy tale for the sake of the argument. And what would be in it for you?"

"Well, for one, I wouldn't have to worry about my thieves getting arrested for just looking at a Hunter wrong. I wouldn't have to worry about them being tortured and abused if caught, or executed on the spot as some have been," he scowled, real anger boiling behind his eyes. "Also, and while this is more for my race than myself and my guild, it too might be something to consider. I propose that, once you have taken control of your clan, that you form a council."

I just blinked at him, waiting for him to go on.

"It could have one high ranking member of each race on it to speak in the defense of high profile conflicts. It would also ward against corruption in the future. Complete and total power would still lie with the Hunters of course, but they would be there to offer opinions and keep things fair."

I mulled his words over, finally turning to Alice and asking, _What do you think?_

_ Well,_ she thought, _he does make good points. Besides Bella, you were born to lead. You're the greatest Hunter to have been born in hundreds of centuries, think of all the good you could do. Couldn't you even keep headquarters here in Forks? Maybe not that much would even change, except the amount of power you had over things._

_ But if I was the one organizing missions then I won't have any time to run my own._

She smirked, _Bella I have complete faith that you would find a way. Also... think of all the good it would do for me and my family, our family, if the Volturi was no longer in the Askari's pocket? If they didn't have free reign to do whatever they wanted anymore?_

I mulled it over, sighing. Why did Alice have to go and say that? Now that she phrased in such I way, my soul could hardly _not_ do something so beneficial to her. That was my true purpose in life, to ensure that she was safe and secure and happy. I turned to Arin and said, "I'll consider it. There are still hundreds of factors to consider. If I agree to this coup, do we have your support?"

He grinned and leaned back. "That and more. I have in's with the Were-Clans and the other Fay Folk as well, I'll drop a bug in their ears. Just imagine it Bella. The Askari and Volturi sweeping through, expecting to take you out unprepared and easy as swatting a fly, and we'll all be there and waiting for the retribution we've all been seeking for years." He smiled like a cat in the cream. "And think of all the respect and alliances you'll make just by leading the charge."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. That's exactly what I _didn't_ want, hundreds of people looking up to me to make the right choices, depending on me. "Whatever. I'll talk to my Tribe and get back to you."

He nodded and stood up, saying, "One second," before disappearing into a back room. He came back holding a small round mirror, and simple thing, and handed it to me. "Two-way scrying mirror. This is the second of a matching set. Take it with you and you can use it to contact me with your decision."

I nodded and accepted the pane. "Alright. Thanks for your time, Arin."

"No, thank you." He grinned once more, because I'm sure he already knew the decision I would make.

**A/N: So yeah, like I said, a lot of filler and then that plot bomb at the end :D Who saw it coming? Well, it still may go either way, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? ;) Reviews make me happy, let me know what you thought, what needs to change, any of that! Love you guys and I'll be back with another update soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Duhn duhn duhn! New chappy, hoorah! I hope you all like it! Slowly but surely I am making it to the high point of the story, I thank you all for your patience. Also, I'm not the best with fluff ): If any of you have ideas for Alice-Bella bonding time, they would be greatly appreciated!**

"No, thank you." He grinned once more, because I'm sure he already knew the decision I would make.

We passed through the heavy wooden doors and back into the tunnel leading to the surface world with heavy packs and scowls and churning minds. Rafael opened his mouth first and started, "Bella, I-"

"Not now, Raf. When we get back," I said in my alpha voice. I figured he would comment on Arin's offer, or something to that nature, and we really couldn't do that right now. My tribe was smart. We were the best of the best, but this situation was out of their league. We needed to keep this as closely under wraps as possible. After all, if word ever got out of a coup rising against the Askari, the twenty hunters they might send with the Volturi would quickly climb to a hundred or even two. Especially if it was my tribe. And me. I sighed and Alice grabbed for my hand, squeezing it tightly. I smiled down at her as she leaned against my shoulder and hummed.

"Well, today was really fun!" Alice said, trying to lighten the mood. "Thank you all so much for bringing me along."

"Of course!" Alia smiled at my mate. "It won't be the last, I'm sure. Today's visit was really rushed, normally when we have time to spare we'll rent rooms down here and stay for a few days. We didn't even get to show you the exotic creatures sections on the other side of the city, you would have loved it."

Archer grinned, "Yeah, I've always liked playing with the unicorns and sphinxes. They're very intelligent."

Alice's eyes lit up and she turned to me, punching me half-playfully in the shoulder. "Bella! Why didn't you take me to see cute little animals?"

"Ow!" I said, rubbing my arm. "Well, Alice, mostly because we've been given an unknown time frame before we are all attacked by two of the most powerful organizations known to history. And besides that, I know you'd want one and I doubt Esme would approve of you bringing and Griffon back to Forks." She looked heartbroken and I mentally smacked myself for being so blunt. "Okay, hold on, I promise we'll come back and spend and entire week down here when all of this is over, alright?"

"Hmpf!" Was all she would say as she turned from me in a huff, but I saw a smile playing at the edge of her lips and I knew I was forgiven.

Our companions materialized the second we stepped back out into the surface world. Loki gave me a knowing glance and I knew he was aware of everything that had transpired between Arin and I, like he always knew everything. He stared pointedly at me and I just shook my head slowly. His ethereal form turned physical and we climbed aboard.

"I can't wait to get home," Alia said. "I want to fletch out some new arrows for these tips, give 'em a go."

She wasn't the only one feeling impatient. I smirked and said, "Your wish is my command," and closed my eyes. I delved deep into my magic and gave it a tug, molding it to my will. I heard a roaring in my ears then opened them, looking around to find our companions setting gently down on the driveway leading up to our house. I grinned broadly, happy it had worked.

"Teleportation? Really? Know you no bounds?" Rafael asked dryly, patting Tem as his feet touched the ground.

I just smiled at him.

"Is it really that rare?" Alice asked, confused. "I mean, I guess considering everything I've seen all of you do, something as mundane as teleportation just seems, well, mundane."

Archer rolled his eyes, hopping down from Beto with a sigh. "No, no, Hunters can teleport but it's a lot more complex than just closing your eyes and willing yourself to go to a different place. Most spellmasters have to prepare for the journey for weeks, getting their body and mind ready. Not to mention _most_ Hunters don't have enough magic in them to transport themselves, they need charms and gems with energy stored in them too. It's hard to work to keep track of all your bits and pieces, and then mess with speed, _and_ make it so you don't run into solid things and shred yourself, and not to mention keep up glamours so you aren't seen and that's just for one person. Bella just did it for nine, without even uttering a spell. So see, it's really more-"

"Okay, you guys need to _stop_ that. I left home so I wouldn't be looked at like a freak for having the powers I do, not to have them brought up whenever I do _anything_!" I grumbled, exasperated. Yes, I had a lot of power and yes, I could do incredible things but I didn't see a reason to comment on it every single time.

"They're just jealous that you're so exceptionally awesome," Alice grinned, shifting my pack onto her own back and leaping from Loki's back into my waiting arms. I laughed at her comment and swung her around, carrying her piggyback as we turned to walk into the house.

"Jealous isn't quite the right word," Rafael grinned. "It's more that were frustrated Bella doesn't _recognize_ that she's exceptionally awesome. See, the more exceptional the Alpha, the more exceptional the tribe. Really if she was more of a bad ass more often if would reflect well on us. It's selfish, really."

"I recognize it, I just choose to ignore it," I growled, stalking into the house. In all honesty teleporting all of them _had_ made me pretty tired and I just wanted to nap. Instead I settled for carrying Alice upstairs and heading into the study. Bookshelves lines the walls, stretching up the the ceiling and each packed to the brim with tomes and journals and novels. I had a desk in there too, a massive mahogany thing, that was currently cluttered with papers and notes and maps, books and scrolls opened to random places with notes scrawled into them as well. I sighed at the mess but simply didn't have the motivation to clean it up just yet. I set Alice down and she went to go sit on the plush couch which sat against a far wall, dragging me along with her.

We sat in silence for a while, just leaning against one another. Finally she spoke first, saying, "You know, I can't pretend to know everything, or even a fair bit, about your world. I am here though, if you want to talk. I'll listen." I felt through our link that she was worried for me, about me, about my tribe and her family.

"I know. Thank you," I squeezed her smaller form tight to my side and lay my head on her shoulder. I had trouble admitting it even to myself but this was very nice. I had never imagined myself with another like this, being prone and weak with them. My mind told me to be wary, that I was letting my guard down, but my heart and gut and instinct just wanted me to relax further. So I did. "I just... I don't know what to do. The entire reason I left was because I refused to lead and now it looks like that choice is being taken away from me. Your family, the wolves, and my tribe don't have a snowball's chance in hell to beat my Clan and the Volturi if even one of them brings their full strength. Even with the dragons on our side it would be chancy and that is not a chance I'm willing to take, not even a little bit. To make the alliances we need to ensure our victory I'll need to step into a birthright I never wanted. Everything is going to change."

Alice was quiet, stroking my hair and vibing soothing emotions through our link. Eventually she said, "Well, maybe that is just how it was supposed to be. Maybe you were meant for this."

I frowned. "I know. That's what I was afraid of." I didn't like the higher powers mingling in my life, especially not when I could kick the majority of their butts. It didn't seem right that they got to choose my fate but they couldn't even beat me in combat. Some of them, anyways. Where was the fairness there? "I just want to be off the radar for once in my life, to feel like the world revolves around someone else."

She laughed.

"What?" I asked, grinning at her merriment.

"Well, I suppose it's funny. There's plenty of girls out there, Rosalie for example and half the girls at Forks High, who _think_ the world revolves around them and then there's you, and it actually kind of does and you don't even want it to. It's really ironic."

I rolled my eyes. "That's fate for you. And the Universe. And Karma. They all have horrible senses of humor." I smiled once more then sobered up. "So you really think I should do this?"

Alice shrugged. "I want you to do whatever makes you happy..." She paused. "But at the same time, I know that if you allowed your family to stay on this path they could do some real damage in the world and I think that if you knew you could put a stop to it here and now and you _didn't_, you wouldn't forgive yourself."

I sighed, frowning. Why did she know me so well?

"Well, mostly because I can read your mind. It helps." She said cheekily.

I leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, not feeling a real need to respond.

The next week was literally insane. For one, I asked Esme if she could alter the renovations to our basement to turn the HQ into a full on War Room and she was more than happy to oblige. It was mostly her and the boys doing the work, but every now and then she would bring in humans for carpentry advice or some such, which put a major dent in the other decidedly supernatural things we were trying to accomplish, but at the same time it had to be done. So whenever she had a less than immortal expert come in we would pack up the spell books, put glamors over the weaponry, lock the doors, and settle down in from of the xbox and watch a movie. All fourteen of us, if Seth was here. Granted it made for a strange sight, but the carpenters never questioned it. I personally didn't spend a lot of time 'Down Below,' as we had taken to calling it, partly because I was up to my ears in other things but mostly because Esme wanted it to be a surprise, which meant Alice couldn't see it either.

Meanwhile, my tribe was assisting me in building a low, squat, barracks like building that would become our forge. It was made of thick stone, which admittedly would keep it hot, but it would also protect against fires and I could spell it to keep it cool. Emmett asked me why I didn't just spell the wood against fire when I first laid out the plans for everyone to see, and I eplained to them how stone, seeing as it was made up of small crystals and minerals, held energy and magic a lot better than dead organic matter such as wood. And besides that, it would be a lot harder to break down a stone building than a wooden one in the battle to come. Anyways, the building was low and squat. Inside were three ovens to heat metal and an entire wall of anvils. Below the forge was a store room to house vast quantities of ores and ingots, as well as spare tools that were lined up on racks above. Out in the yard surrounding the forge were two more ovens and another dozen anvils that would allow us to work when weather, time, and battle status permitted. It only took us two days to build with myself using the full extent of my magic, which involved summoning, transmuting, spelling, and enchanting the building as well as the tools.

As soon as the building was done my tribe set to crafting weapons of all kinds: swords, maces, daggers, dirks, axes, and hammers as well as armor and jewelry for charming. When they were not crafting or enchanting we were training in new spells and keeping our battle skills sharp. Every evening the Cullens would watch with poorly concealed fascination as I ran my tribe through multiple series of strenuous exercises to keep the minds, bodies, and reflexes sharp. Some of which were more humane, like simple sword exercises or target practice, and some were... not, like flinging sharpened knives at one another and calling out the defensive strategy to use only once they were in the air. Esme could not watch this and while none of us liked it, we all agreed it was extremely effective. Not only did it train the thrower's arm but it trained the defender's reflexes, spell casting, parrying and, if they failed, healing skills. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward were eager to jump in the fray and learn these new tactics and I promised them as soon as the war room was ready we would hold a meeting and devise an entire training strategy for all of us. That placated them for the moment and after that conversation they hardly ever left the basement except to hunt.

Birch had been looking into his Kara'til extensively during this time, training and honing it to the best of his ability. When I had the time, and I tried to make time for him as much as possible, I would sit down with him and with our minds linked, I would lend him power and guidance to further his skill set. I saw the drain this was putting on him, however. He hardly slept, he was eating poorly, and he only gave half effort during training. Finally, after talking with Rafael about it, I decided to send him and Archer up north to find Thorskir and let him know of the going-on's down south. Birch didn't seem to know how to feel, happy to see his old friend again or disappointed that his training was being interrupted. Still, he saw the move for what it was and resigned himself to a quick trip north. We all felt that the dragon's lair was far enough away from the Askari camp to avoid detection and that with Birch now able to foresee immediate threats with his gift they would be safe enough. Both had newly forged weapons on their hips when they took off on their Companions backs. I sighed and as soon as they were out of sight I turned right back into the house and continued my work.

One day, while Emmett and Alice were helping be hammer out steel blades in the Forge, Emmett asked, "Are you sure we need... _weapons_, to fight? I mean vampires are already kind of decked out in their own weapons, aren't they?" He flexed his muscles and flashed his teeth.

I smiled. "True, but your 'weapons' were designed for very different purposes. You are superb hunters of mortal prey, that's true, but Hunter's are designed to kill _immortal_ prey, like you. Besides, even in fighting other vampires it can go both ways, can't it? But if you have a sword in your hand that creates flames on contact, isn't that much better to fight vampires with? If you have a sword that shields you from magic attacks, isn't that better against Hunters than nothing at all?"

"So... these weapons are going to be like swords and shields all at once?" Emmett asked, looking at the metal beneath his hands in a new light.

"Precisely. Also, we have a rare advantage here knowing exactly what we'll be facing. I know my Clan and the Volturi, and you all have exclusive knowledge of the Volturi as well, especially Carlisle. We know their gifts, their strengths and weaknesses, so I can make these weapons specifically to exploit them."

"Huh," was all Emmett said.

"So Bella, I've been wondering..." Alice trailed off.

"Hmm?" I paused my hammering, waiting for her to continue.

"I can't help but wonder if, because these weapons will be so powerful, if us vampires are _allowed_ to have them?" She seemed a bit sheepish and I knew she was quickly developing a strong liking for this less-than-modern lifestyle and she didn't want to give it up, but she also wanted to do the right thing.

I chuckled at her. "Well... technically, yes. There's no law specifically stating that you can't give crazy powerful weapons to vampires, but I doubt it will be smiled upon. There may be those who lose some trust in me because of it, but I care vastly more that you and your family will be safe than if my 'family,'" I air-quoted the word, "will approve."

She smiled. "Good to know. Emmett, how much longer until the War Room is ready? All the magic down there is messing with my visions and besides, I'm trying not to look for Bella's sake. It's driving me nuts, and I want to start training!" She near-about pouted and I laughed.

Emmett smiled too and resumed hammering, "Trust me, we're doing everything we can to go as quickly as possible, I swear. We're just as excited as you. Esme is nearly done with the woodwork and furnishing, and then it's just finishing touches. Just another day or two if we keep up vampire speed."

Alice giggled and jumped about, clapping. "I'm so excited!" She turned to me and asked, "Any idea when Birch and Archer will be back?"

I shrugged, saying, "It depends on a lot of things, like if Thorskir is where he usually is this time of year, if they have hatchlings still or not, if they want to come, if they run into any trouble. I'd give them another few days too. We still have plenty of work to do here, you know!" I laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know. How's that list coming along?" She asked.

I sighed, "It's still way too long for my liking." At the beginning of the week I had made a list of everything that needed to be done before we were attacked which, for the record, we still didn't know when that would be happening. Yes, so far we had built the forge and we were nearly done with outfitting the Cullens, and I had woven four new spells and taught them to my Tribe, and the War Room was nearly finished, and the borders had been respelled and reinforced, and we were on our way to securing several alliances, but none of those had been confirmed yet. We still needed to talk to the wolves, elves, werecreatures, and dragons and then outfit them as well if they needed it. Beyond that, I wanted at least another dozen new spells in our arsenal before the battle arrived. I still needed to spell the house, which I was putting off due to the sheer intricacies of it. I had asked Carlisle to call his friends in the vampire world and I had asked Holly to tell Sam that I wanted to meet up with him and discuss all this whenever the time was right, though I'm fairly certain he didn't know much of anything yet. And beyond all that, we still needed to go over tactics and plans and strategies, most of which couldn't be fully discussed until we knew exactly who was on our side and who wasn't.

Alice whistled, "Hmm, that is a lot. Carlisle should be done making his calls any minute now, though."

As if her words had summoned him, the doctor's scent floated in on the breeze. Seconds later her himself arrived at the forge, hair windswept from the run. "Good news, Bella."

I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Oh?"

"Mhmm! We have friends in several covens, many of which are eager for a change in leadership or have their own private vendettas with the Volturi and many who want to help just for the sake of helping. They just need to know when and where and they will be at our sides."

This was indeed good news. "Do you know how many, exactly?"

"Twenty six, to my best knowledge, some vegetarian and some otherwise," he scowled a bit at the end but it all sounded like good news to me.

"As long as they can behave themselves and hunt outside of town," I shrugged.

Alice's brow came together as a thought flashed behind her eyes, and my own widened and brightened. "Alice, that is a _fantastic_ idea!"

She looked to me in surprise and asked, "It is? Could you do it?"

"Absolutely! I've never thought about that before!"

"Care to share with the rest of us?" Emmett grinned.

I rolled my eyes and turned around to scan over the work benches inside the Forge. I plucked a simple silver and amber amulet, about the size of a silver dollar with a handmade silver chain, from a work bench. I cradled the ornament in my hand and closed my eyes, prodding at the pool of magic within me and molding it like clay to the shape of my will. I cracked open my eyes to see a golden glow of light swirling around my hands before it delved into the very fiber of the metal, settling itself against the inner workings. The enchantment having been set, I opened my eyes fully and gave the necklace a visual appraisal. It looked the same as before if not a tad more luminous. I turned to Emmett with a smile on my face as said, "Here! Try it on!"

Emmett grinned with excited curiosity, snatching the amulet from my hands and pulling it over his head. As soon as it rested fully around his neck he gasped, jaw dropping. "No way! _How?_" All trace of jovial joking was gone from him, leaving only serious astonishment in it's wake. "My thirst... it's... What did you do? How?" He asked again.

"Well, the thing is, a vampires thirst is actually mostly a mental thing. As humans you aren't capable of experiencing the level of pain you can feel as a vampire and especially not that you feel from your thirst. The monster part of your new mind provides it. I can't completely remove it because it _is_ part of you, so instead I diminished it and altered it a bit. The spell in the necklace, as long as it's on your person, will almost entirely negate your lust for human blood, but it also amplifies the pleasure you receive from feeding off of animal blood as an added bonus, almost like flipping the two around. As a final feature, the necklaces also act as trackers, almost. They'll send off a signal myself or any other Hunter could pick up on if a wearer feeds from a human."

Carlisle looked extremely impressed and opened his mouth to speak, but Alice beat him to the punch, "All in all, we can give these to vampires on our side while they're here so they'll leave the humans alone which will keep the wolves happy, and maybe even permanently change their lifestyles."

Emmett, who had been absent from the conversation, jumped back in. "It's amazing. I'm trying to force my thirst now, think of how human blood tastes and feels in your throat, and there's hardly _anything_."

I watched as Alice's eye's darkened and felt her own thirst kindle through our link then quickly said, "I can make such ornaments for all your family. The charm won't last forever though. To maximize it's effects I would have to place a higher quality gem of some kind in the jewelry and charge it with energy, kind of like charging a battery. Eventually it would run out, but not for a few decades, and any Hunter could recharge it."

Carlisle held out a hand to Emmett who handed over the amulet with a weak smile, clearly already attached. I heard his breath catch as the thirst descended on him again. Carlisle's eye's widened as he himself felt the charm begin to work. "It seems wonderful! When do you suppose you could make them? No rush of course, we've lasted this long. I have to wonder, must it me necklaces? Not, per say, rings or cuff links or some such?"

"No, I suppose it could be anything you could lay a gem or precious stone in. Did you have something in mind for yourself?"

"Well no, not really. I mean, I do have my own share of treasures left over from my days with the Volturi. I happily offer them up for this, though."

I smiled. "Thank you, Carlisle. That's actually wonderful, because it's not just the type of gem that matters. Sure, a diamond is denser than a ruby so it holds more magic, but at the same time a day old diamond that has only held it's cut form for that long won't match up to a centuries old ruby that has had so much time to acclimate itself. Does that make any sense?"

"Like wisdom for gems?" Emmett grinned.

My nose scrunched up in a silent laugh, "Give or take."

Emmett opened his mouth to banter back but before he could say anything Holly appeared at the entrance to the Forge. She too opened her mouth to speak but before she could speak she sensed the magic in the air and zeroed in on the amulet. "New spell, Bells? Nice one."

"It was Alice's idea, really. Anyways, what's up?" Her posture was rigid and I was worried.

"Sam is on his way," she bit her lip.

**A/N: Hmm, next chapter should be fun! I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? Like I said before, I'm in need of suggestions for Bella-Alice fluff because I know you all love it and I'm not very good with it... Any ideas? Anyways, I hope you liked it! I love you all! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Helloooo! Please welcome to the stage, Sam and the Fluffy Boys! :D**

_"Sam is on his way," she bit her lip._

"What?" I asked, a jolt going through me. "_Now?_"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, Bella! I was talking to him and I accidentally let slip that you were bringing some friends here and he flipped, just assuming they would all be vampires or something. He's bringing the whole pack."

I growled, "Does that boy never learn?" My teeth ground together as I thought. We weren't at full strength, not at all. Birch and Archer were gone, I would not allow Rosalie to fight, what with the pregnancy and all, and Edward and Jasper were off training. That left just me, Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Rafael and Alia to defend the place because Holly wouldn't go up against the pack. "Will it come to a fight?" I asked as Alice walked outside, pulling her phone from her pocket and dialing her wayward brothers.

"I'm not sure. Sam's pretty mad, but not in a killing way, more in a 'I've had it with the Hunters' kind of way."

"Fine," I snapped. This was a meeting we would have to have sooner or later anyways, I had just been hoping for later."

"I'm really sorry, Bella..." Holly said, miserable.

I sighed. "I know, you didn't mean it. I swear are all the wolves so hot headed? I mean I know it's kind of their thing, but after so long! They need a real alpha to sort them out," though by that point I was just grumbling to myself as I hitched _Archangel_ to my hip.

Holly pursed her lips and waited as I led her and the two Cullens from the Forge. "Loki!" I called out and he appeared at my side, along side Holly's fox, Renia. "What do you think?"

"They'll listen to reason if you lay it out correctly," he said, rolling his shoulders as he pulled a more solid form to his bones. I jumped up onto his back and we ran back to the house, myself astride Loki's withers, Holly on Renia's, and the Cullens running beside us.

As we came streaking up Esme and Rosalie, who had practically moved in with us to assist in building the war room, both came to stand on the porch. "What's wrong?" Rosalie asked, hands immediately going to rest on her stomach, which happened to be showing early signs of her pregnancy already.

"The wolves are coming," I said. "But don't worry, I'll make sure no one gets injured. Besides there's always the-" A sound similar to a brass bell being struck with a soft mallet rung through the air, along with a few high pitched yelps. "-barriers for them to worry about," I finish with a bit of a grin.

Holly smacked my arm and said, "Bella!"

"Calm down, they're not set to burn, just to repel." Holly continued to glare at me to I said, "Fine, I'll let them in. But they better behave." I reached out with my magic and felt the energy that made my physical boundaries recede.

"Don't act like they're my pet dogs or something!" Holly said, a bit of a smirk at the corner of her lips.

"Isn't Seth?" Rafael asked, appearing from inside the house as well.

Holly lunged, trying to hit him but I intervened, stepping between the two. "We have more pressing matters to worry about right now, don't we? They should be here soon."

On cue, the paw steps of the wolves began to thud through the air. I turned and saw their shapes appear between the trees, sighing. I stepped forward and instead of facing them with a sword drawn as I'm sure they expected, I sat on the front steps. This caused Sam to slow as I had hoped it would. He slunk behind a tree, Jake and a wolf I assumed was Jared accompanying him, and emerged once more as humans. Sam's voice was still angry when he called out, "What in the hell is going on?"

"Hello to you, too!" Emmett scoffed.

I turned to the big vampire and said, "Emmett, take Rose inside please."

He opened his mouth to protest but Rosalie did not, instead just grabbed Emmett's elbow and dragged him along behind her. It was for her protection either way. "Call if you need us, Bella." Rosalie said gently.

"I will," I smiled at the two before turning back to the wolves. Jacob and Jared flanked Sam, in human form, Seth stood on a flank as close to Holly as possible. Leah stood on Seth's side along with Colin, Quil and Embry stood with Paul on the other flank. I had eyes only for Sam. "You wanted to have a discussion, Sam?"

He looked a bit surprised at the civility but he got over it quickly. "Damn right we do! What's this I hear about you... you massing an army? A battle of some kind?"

I glanced dryly at Holly who was staring pointedly at her feet. Well, I knew she wouldn't be able to keep all the details from Seth for long, likely Sam overheard. "Well, that is true for the most part. I have been meaning to discuss it with you, in the event that you would like to be a part of it."

Sam was sputtering and the wolves in the clearing were now growling as well. I rolled my eyes.

"Would you at least listen to me before going all... growly?"

Sam's mouth tightened into a thin line but he didn't say anything, so I took that as an invitation to continue.

"See, my Clan is about as close to evil as you can get without literally destroying everything. They are corrupt and greedy and violent and willing to do all sorts of bad things to preserve and increase their power. I am the heir to that line, the largest and most powerful of the Hunter clans. I refused to lead because I didn't want anything to do with it, so they sent me here hoping that between you wolves and the Cullens my tribe and I would be destroyed."

"Aren't you extremely powerful, though?" Sam asked, bewildered.

I smiled, "Yes, but they were unaware of the extent. I wanted to remain under the radar as much as possible to avoid more... refined, assassination attempts. Now, because of the turn of events involving myself, Alice, Holly, and Seth my Clan has decided to come and wipe us all out, labeling us as traitors and dangerous and all that. Hunters, Cullens, Wolves, it won't matter. Thanks to one of my tribe members, Birch, we were given enough forewarning to do something about it, even though we are still mostly fuzzy on the exact date of our impending execution."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Sam asked.

"Sam, you can't honestly be listening to-" Jake began behind him.

"Shut up, Jake. Let Bella finish." Jared said, kicking some dirt at Jake's heels.

"Thank you," I nodded to the intervening boy. "So far we have several plans in effect. Alice? Will you run and get a few examples of the things we've been making in the Forge?"

"Of course," she murmured, smiling at me as she blurred off.

_Thanks,_ I said in my mind. "You've already encountered our barriers, but they don't just repel, they can do all sorts of other nasty things. I'm bringing in a few friends I've made over the years-"

"More vampires?" Sam asked, stiffening.

I gave him a dry glance and said, "I'm getting there! Some, yes, but for the majority, no. Right now we can count on a few clans of Elves, and hopefully in the near future I'll have concrete information pertaining to whether or not we can count on the WereTribes, Dragons, and possibly some of the Greek Gods, maybe some of their children as well. My tribe is massive, numbering around seven hundred or so, and they're teaming up with the Volturi. Heard of them?"

Sam seemed to busy processing what I had told him thus far to scoff, so he just shook his head.

I chuckled, "You call yourselves vampire slayers yet you know so little of them," I shook my head. "The Volturi are the leaders of the Vampire world. They make their home in Volterra, Italy. They are conniving and operate much like my Clan does. They have many vampire servents but the core fo their group number only slightly higher than the Cullens here. As such, the Volturi see the vampire side of my family as a threat and have quite the vendetta against them. The Volturi employs a guard of around twenty vampires and I wouldn't put it past them to rally more troops if they suspect we are massing a retaliation force."

Alice reappeared then, arm's loaded down with several weapons and pieces of armor. "Here."

"Thanks," I reached my neck up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "In the past week or so we've been forging weapons specifically designed for the fight." I laid the pieces out as a few more wolves ran back to the woods to shift back. As they reappeared I waved them forward saying, "Come on, have a look. We can be nice if you can."' They stepped forward tentatively and I rolled my eyes, continuing on, "See? For instance I have armor here that will repel spells for the most part, weaker ones anyways. I have swords that ignite anything they cut through, very helpful for fighting vampires. I have jewelry that can slow down anything that comes too close to you. All sorts of things."

"Fighting these guys should be a piece of cake then, shouldn't it?" Jared asked, stepping up to handle a sword.

"Ah, but my family has magic to. I figure that at the most, my enchantments will just negate theirs. As soon as all out forces have arrived here my Tribe and I will begin battle training. Now," I paused, looking Sam in the eyes, "We do have vampires assisting us as well."

"How many?" Sam asked through gritted teeth.

"Less than thirty," I said and Sam growled, despite his human form. "Not all of them are vegetarian, but-"

"I can't allow that, Bella, despite the good you're trying to do." I could hear the strain in his voice. He was trying his hardest not to explode so I had to give him credit for that.

"_But,_ I have a solution for that, one I think you'll rather enjoy. Carlisle?" I asked. He was still wearing the amulet from earlier, and he handed it over with a slight frown. "Earlier today, Alice came up with the idea for this little beauty."

"A necklace?" Jake asked, skeptical.

"No, an amulet," I waved him off. "I spelled it to dampen a vampire's thirst and make the taste of human blood unpleasant. It's all a mind trick, but the point is it works _and_ if any vampire would hunt and kill a human despite the spell, the amulet will set off a signal so that we can find them. We were going to give them out to every vampire that comes to Forks to ensure they do not damage the human population and maybe even switch around their eating habits for good."

"Well then," Sam said, unsure of how to take this.

"Sam, how do you know that's even for real?" Paul burst out. "They could very well be lying just to win our trust, and quite frankly, I do _not_ trust freaks like them!"

Seth whirled on his pack mate and growled, "You're talking about my Holly's entire species here, Paul, you watch your mouth!" Holly smiled and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Seth's waist. I would have teased her for it, but there were more important things on my mind.

"Honest to god, who's to say this whole thing isn't just some big plot to wipe us out? They are in league with those bloodsuckers after all and all they've done since they arrived is walk all over our pack. I'm not trying to cook up some... _conspiracy_ theory or anything, but honestly! Doesn't this seem a little suspicious to anyone else?"

I noticed a few of the wolves frown in agreement and I sighed, thinking hard. _Oh!_ I thought, standing up in a flash. "Well here, let me-"

"Bella, no!" Alice said, flashing to my side, much to the bewilderment of the wolves. "Let Carlisle just run back to our house, we have-"

I quieted her with a swift kiss. "That would take too long, and I've had worse, don't you worry. Thank you for the concern though." I ignored the wolf whistles from a few of the more easy going pack members and disappeared into the house. I returned later with a pewter goblet and a dagger and sat on the front porch. Alice's worried thoughts ran through my mind and I did my best to sooth her. The pack watched with a certain fascination and I grinned, flourishing a hand at the goblet like a magician.

"Now, for my next trick," I muttered. I held the goblet between my knees and before anyone else could object I brought the blade of the dagger to the flesh of my palm. The cut was long and deep and hurt like hell, but we were trained to ignore pain, so I did. The pack gasped and the vampires growled in concern. Alice was nearly beside herself and most of my focus was on keep her calm as my life blood flowed out. Well... I could understand her concern. As soon as enough blood had flowed down my fingers and into the goblet I held my hand palm up to the pack and healed it without a word. Once the wound was closed I wiped the blood off on the wood of the porch. I set the dagger beside me and stood.

"Smell this." I held the goblet out to Sam. "Have you smelled human blood before?" He nodded before extending his head to sniff the cup's contents. "Does it smell the same?"

Sam's nose twitched and he sneezed. "God, no! Ugh, that is potent."

I smiled as other pack members stepped up to sniff it as well and each went back sneezing and complaining. "The difference between Hunter Blood and Human blood is that it has concentrated magic in it. Think of it like humans have red and white blood cells, well we have red and white and magic blood cells. Kind of. Anyways, I'm going to remove the magic from my blood so all that's left is the human in it. Do you know what happens to vampires when they smell human blood?" My tone was that of an elementary school teacher asking her class about simple math.

"Their eyes darken and they go feral," Sam muttered.

"Good!" I swept my hand around the cup in an unnecessary flourish as the magic was removed. I finished the motion by wafting the scent towards the Cullens. "Sorry about this, guys," I muttered as the wave of scent hit them. Each of them in varying degrees were affected. Carlisle was unchanged, his eyes darkened only to a gold hue, where as Alice's were slightly darker, Edward and Esme's were a deep brown and Jasper's were jet black. He seemed to be struggling so I said, "Now, watch this." I tossed the amulet to Edward and said, "Place that around Jasper's neck, please."

Edward did as he was asked, and once more as soon as the amulet was seated around the blond vampire's head he relaxed to the point of nearly stumbling. His eye's became a glowing butterscotch and he gasped. "Bella, this is fantastic!" He strode forward and took the goblet from my hands, in haling deeply and came away grimacing. "Ugh, that smells like horse shit," he grumbled, his southern twang slipping through in his neglecting astonishment. I took the goblet away from him and ignited the blood inside, burning it away so as to stop the torment of the other Cullens. I held a hand out and he returned the amulet back to me.

I turned back to the wolves and raised one eyebrow. "Well? Are you satisfied?"

Sam looked at the amulet through narrowed eyes and said, "How many of those could you make?"

"As many as I needed to," I shrugged. "Enough to put you out of work, that's for sure." I grinned.

Sam seemed to mull the entire situation over for a long time, seeing as he was silent and intent for almost an entire minute, before he finally smiled and said, "Count us in."

"Hm?" I asked, surprised.

"We'll fight with you, if you'll have us. I figure we can look at this in a simple way. Your evil family is teaming up with evil vampires, you're changing vampires from bloodsuckers to veggie munchers and on the defensive. We're in."

I grinned. "Fantastic." I turned to Esme. "When will the War Room be ready?"

She smiled back at me. "Tomorrow, for certain. Though probably in the evening."

I nodded to her and turned back the alpha, saying, "Meet us here tomorrow at about seven in the evening. We'll make some kind of plan."

"I have a question," Jared said, raising a hand and smiling.

"Yes sir?" I joked.

"Do we get swords and armor?"

I just smiled.

Later that night I held the scrying mirror in my hands. We were in my study once more, on the plush love seat, and moonlight streaming through the window was turning everything a silvery hue. Alice sat beside me, head resting on my shoulder. I heaved in a big breath and let it out as slowly as I could. I leaned my head on top of Alice's and asked, "Why is this so hard?"

Alice leaned her head up and brushed her lips along my jaw line. She murmured, "Well, why shouldn't it be? You're trying to convince yourself to do something you've told yourself your whole life that you would never do. Of course it's hard,"

I laughed and leaned back, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her onto my lap. I buried my nose into her hair and breathed in deeply once more. When I let my breath out she giggled. I questioned her wordlessly in my mind and she answered simply, _That tickles._ I smiled and brought my hands up to ghost along her shoulders and neck. She shivered and I smiled, proud of myself for having discovered this.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, even though I knew it would be no issue for her to pick up on.

"Whatever for?" She murmured, relaxing into me.

"A lot of things." I pulled her even closer to me, in sudden need of the comfort. "For dragging you and your family into my issues. For redirecting your lives so drastically. I also haven't been spending nearly enough time with you as I should." It was woefully true. I had swept into her life and claimed her as my own, yet I hadn't been treating her even half as well as I should have. Berated myself harshly for being so selfish.

"Now you stop that," she said in return to my thoughts. She flipped herself around on my lap so she could look me in the eyes, simultaneously straddling my waist. She grinned at my blush but it didn't deter her from speaking. She cupped the sides of my face and said, "You know how I felt before you 'swooped into my life?'" She asked, her tone serious. "Content. It wasn't until after I met you that I realized what I had been missing. Looking back, I seemed dead in comparison. Now everything is so lively and colorful and new, it's like I became a vampire all over again. I figure this must be what the others were always going on about when they spoke of the differences between being human and a vampire," she laughed a little. "The point is, you _are_ my other half, and life without you seems so painful I don't even want to think about it. Things are crazy now, but they'll settle down and then it'll be just you and me." She smiled and leaned in to capture my lips with her own.

"I still don't treat you like the queen you should be. I _should_ be lavishing you with gems and trophies of war, crafting you musical instruments and jewelry and all that," I said, only half joking.

"Are you kidding me? You've given me an entirely new _world,_ Bella. You gave me an entirely new _life_ and most of all you've given me _yourself_. What else could I possibly need?"

She smiled warmly down at me, and I realized I had never felt so loved.

**A/N: Eh? Yes, No, Maybe? I dunno. I tried for more fluff, really I did! At least at the end there... *sobs* This version of Bella is just so 'all work and no play' it's hard to get the muse for her romantic side. And of course she's still an awkward turtle, so that doesn't help either. Please, _for the love of Gaia_, help! I need more fluff ideas ): **

**I figure maybe another two chapters or so until the big battle :D You pumped? I'm pumped.**


	11. Chapter 11

Understandably, Arin took my acceptance of his plan well, and I was not surprised to find that he already had considerable preparations in place. I took him at his word when he said he had three clans of Werecats and one each of Werebears and Werewolves (real ones) ready to mobilize at any time, along with two sects of his thieving guild, but the Seattle sect and one from down in Oregon. Beyond that he had gotten words to a few Goblin clans and dwarven refugees who may want to assist us in return for amnesty from several crimes. I told him I'd have to consider that.

His best news though was that they were all ready to move and equipped with their own gear, which was a big weight off of my back. I had been contemplating how we might go about outfitting all of our recruits. I knew the vampires and wolves would need assistance and that alone would be difficult. Hopefully some members of the Were-Clans were good smiths because we would likely need the help.

"Bells, I could use some help here!" Rafael said through gritted teeth. His hands were extended in front of him and were glowing a faint green color. Before him a tangled mass of tree roots wiggled and wormed around about a foot up out of the ground.

"Oh, sorry Raf!" I said, guilty. I put a hand out and concentrated on the magic within me. Before my eyes the tree branches surged with energy and began to grow and twist, up, up, and outward. They came to a pinnacle before sloping back down again. When all was said and done the roots had formed four walls with spaces left to act as windows, a gaping hole to act as a door, and a steep roof styled after Clan housing. They were very nordic looking in my opinion, but overall nice to look at. Several other forest plants had decided to contribute to the houses, so small spurts of berries, grasses, and wildflowers bloomed from the walls and on the roof.

I wiped late summer sweat from my brow and looked over my shoulder. Ten other barracks like these had been constructed already, each able to hold approximately thirty people comfortably. I wanted to make about five more to fit all the Were-Clans but a glance at Raf told me he was done for the afternoon. "You want to take a break and I'll finish up? You've got to be starving."

He grinned weakly and said, "Sounds good to me, chief."

"Cool. See ya in there."

He nodded and turned, walking back towards the main house, dragging his feet just a bit. As I turned to finish constructing the other dwellings I contemplated how strange my magic was. Granted, earth magic always had been my strongest subject, but even then. It wa always strange for me to watch my tribe, or any Hunter for that matter, slowly grow exhausted from using magic when I myself had never experienced such a thing. It always felt so effortless to me.

I sensed Loki appearing beside me and I raised and eyebrow. "About time you showed up around here. Where have you been, I haven't seen you in days!"

"I went to find Archer and Birch, see how they were doing." He said nonchalantly. He was in his ethereal form but that didn't stop the wolf from laying down and starting to groom himself.

"And?" I asked, interest piqued.

"They're doing just fine. The dragons are escorting them back in style, they should be here in time for the war meeting this evening."

"They flying back?" I asked, grinning. Birch would be having the time of his life, then. "Well good for them, I'm glad to hear it. How many are they bringing to aid us?"

"Thorskir agreed without hesitation of course, and his mate as well. One of their hatchlings from a year or two back, a drake by the name of Ordil is attending, and his young mate Ji'ivska. There are two other grown dragons that will come as well, a drake and a femme, though I was not able to meet them face to face."

I nodded slowly, mulling it over. "Six, eh?" I worried the inside of my cheek. "Well, as each day goes on our odds get better and better, but I still wish we knew just how many Hunters and Vampires my family is bringing, or whatever other nasty things."

"Have you taken word to Zeus yet?" Loki asked.

I shook my head. "No, not yet. I wanted to wait until we had fully amassed out forces. You know gods, they don't like getting involved unless they're certain to win." I rolled my eyes.

Loki nodded. "Well enough. I would hurry though, if I were you. Something in my bones tells me we don't have much time."

I shivered, disturbed. "I know what you mean," I said quietly. "I feel the same."

Something solid smashed into my side and I let out a very elegant "Oof!" before being cast to the ground. I was about to incinerate my attacker until I recognized the stream of thoughts. "Alice!" I said, aghast. "What are you doing, I could have fried you!"

The tiny girl, now laying on my back said, "I knew you wouldn't, you have better control than that. I wanted to see if I could surprise you! And I can!"

I groaned exasperatedly and rolled over, hoping to roll Alice off of me. Instead she just lifted herself up as I flopped onto my back before laying right back down. "You are a hassle, you know that," I said with a smile on my face, half joking. In all honesty I had come to love my pixie-esque girlfriend's spontaneity.

Alice's eyes shimmered with mirth and she opened her mouth to respond, but snapped it closed just as quickly and looked at me with an intense gaze. "Really?"

"What, that you're a hassle? I was just kid-" I began to say worriedly, but she cut me off.

"No, no, not that! The... the girlfriend thing," she said almost shyly.

My cheeks blazed red. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. It was just the first thing that popped into my-"

Her lips on mine stopped my words in a rather pleasant way. When she pulled away, her voice was low and she wouldn't meet my eyes. "Don't apologize, I liked it. I was just wondering if you _meant_ it. If you wanted to mean it."

I blinked a few times, processing her words. A smile broke out onto my face and I laughed a bit, saying, "Did you just ask me out?"

I knew if Alice were human she would be blushing. Still though, she jutted her chin out and set her face into a stubborn guise and said, "Yes, I did."

I tilted my head up to capture her lips with mine. Upon breaking away I said, "Mary Alice Brandon Cullen, I would be honored to call you my girlfriend, if it suits you."

The dark haired girl beams a dazzling smile and I knew that if I had been standing my legs would be weak in the knees now. "And Isabella Marie Ravensage, I thought our relationship status was already understood. I'm glad we cleared it up, though." She leaned in for another kiss.

"This is all very touching," a new voice encroached on our moment and I was up in a flashed, Alice held behind protectively and my free hand engulfed in flames. Before me stood three vampires, all female and looking to be around the age of twenty five. One had washed out red-blonde hair, one was blond, and one was a brunette. As far as I was concerned, they were all targets.

"Bella, no!" Alice said, worming her way into my mind, which happened to already be flashing through the thousands of ways I could kill them.

I noticed that the new arrivals held their hands up in a surrendering positions and their eyes were a honey golden hue.. I eased my arm down though I kept a wisp of flames lit.

"These are our 'cousins' from Denali, Tanya, Irene, and Kate. Tanya, Irene, Kate, this is my mate Bella. They don't know better than to surprise a Hunter, yet." Alice smiled gently, waving a bit at the three women.

"It's nice to meet you," Irene said, looking at us with a pleased smile on her face. "It's nice to see that Alice has finally found someone. Though I must admit, you're not what I expected when Carlisle said Alice's mate needed help!"

I smiled and shrugged. "Not much of anything can be anticipated around here, I'm afraid you'll get used to it."

"We don't know much of anything yet, so I'm sure we'll be surprised a lot. Carlisle was painfully ambiguous over the phone. What the hell have you gotten yourselves into now? Carlisle didn't give us anything but the bare minimum and this address, but we came as fast as we could," Tanya said, smirking.

Alice grinned and said, "It's too much to explain just now. We're having a War Council tonight though, you came just in time."

"_War_ council?" The Kate asked. "Gods above, Ali!"

"We just ask that you save your questions for the end. And between now and this evening you'll probably see a lot of strange things, so fair warning," I said, smiling.

Irene rolled her eyes. "Any time the Cullens call with an emergency, it's never something minor like 'Oh dear, the curtains don't match the carpet,' it's 'Oh dear, there's a horde of angry werewolves trying to kill us' or 'Oh dear, we've pissed off the Volturi again.'"

I laughed as Alice pouted. Seeing and hearing her disgruntlement, I pulled her into my side and said, "Hey, you guys don't do anything half way, it's admirable! And now that me and my Tribe are here you've got the big guns t back you up!"

Alice smiled and wrapped an arm around my waste.

"Oh, how cute!" Kate said, grinning and flashing a look at Irene.

_Are they...?_ I asked Alice.

_Yup, it drives Tanya nuts._

_ How come?_

_ Well, Tanya swings for both teams but she's holding out for Edward. So seeing them together gets her all worked up and she has nowhere to vent, I guess._

_ Ah, so they're not big on threesomes, then? _I joked, half meaning to contribute it to our conversation and half unintentionally, though our link offered no such allowances.

Alice laughed and answered anyways, _You would think so, but no. Kate and Irene are... uh, free spirits. Emmett loves it when they're over, he always tries to put video cameras in their room and stuff like that._

I cracked a smile. _Perv._

_ Yeah, well..._ Alice dwindled off.

"Anyways," Tanya said, oblivious to our interaction which had lasted no more than a few seconds, "We haven't been to the house yet. Are you guys heading back?"

Alice smiled and said "Why not? I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you."

"Emmett especially," Kate grinned as Irene and Tanya chuckled. Kate winked and said, "Maybe you and Bella could join in our teasing this year, eh? We could have some fun with it."

Flashes of wonderful, horrible thoughts flashed through Alice and I's mind, causing us both to heat up. Alice laughed, trying to undermine how flustered she was and said, "We'll see. Bella and I have only known each other for a month or so, but there's never a bad time to mess with my brother."

Irene shrugged. "I'll take it. Now lead on, I wanna see the fam damily and meet this Tribe."

Alice laughed and swept into an overly dramatic bow, saying, "Allow me to lead the way, then!"

And lead she did. The Cullens and my tribe were waiting for us when my house came into view. I had quickly grown to love the rustic, castle-like home. It was warm and inviting and seemed safe, even though I knew how horribly fragile it really was, at least in my world. Kate and Irene ran ahead to set in on hugging all the family members while Tanya remain more reserved, yet just as sincere. The happy reunion came to a jarring halt when they reached Rosalie, however.

"Rose..." Kate said, staring at the other blonds bulging stomach. "Are... are you... what?"

Rose beamed and Emmett put his arm around his mate's shoulders. "I'm pregnant," Rose said, her grin like an unquenchable wildfire. Just the mention of the word had everyone smiling, even if the Denali's grins were a bit on the confused side.

"But... how?" Irene asked, kneeling before Rosalie and placing a gentle hand on her stomach.

Emmett grinned and boomed, "Thank Bella! She used her magic to make is so Rose and I could have a kid. A real kid, it's really ours! Both of us! I'm gonna be a daddy!"

Tanya grinned and mock shivered, "Oh, gods help us all. Well, I'm happy for you both. When is the baby due?"

Rose sighed and shrugged. "I'm not sure. It hasn't been a typical pregnancy so far, it's accelerated. I'd say within the month, to be honest," she said, biting her lip.

"Well good, the sooner the better," Kate said.

I stepped forward and cleared my throat as my tribe came to stand beside me, or what was left of them. Rafael stood at my right side, and Aria and Holly stood on my left. "This is my Tribe, or what of them that's here right now. Rafael is my right-hand guy," I gestured to the lanky blond boy, who stepped forward and bowed dramatically.

"A pleasure to meet you," he said politely.

"This is Aria, one of the best shots you'll find in the world." Aria just waved. "And this," I gestured to the short red-head, "Is Holly. Currently Aria's brother Archer and our sixth member, Birch, are up north recruiting more... uh, warriors, of sorts," I said, grinning, not wanting to ruin the surprise. "We're Hunter from the Askari Clan, currently camping in Northern Canada."

The Denalis looked bewildered so my tribe and the Cullens set in on explaining. Choosing to ignore their theatrics, I stepped away to grab a few more amulets and rings and Alice sat beside me as I enchanted them to be like the first prototype. When I came back the group had moved inside, and Rafael was regaling them about the time I had slain a full grown Sea Serpent off the coast of Hawaii.

"It was _not_ two hundred feet long, it was no more than fifty and you, sir, are a braggart. Sit down and be quiet," I said, coming up behind him and flicking his ear. He grinned and chuckled but sat none the less. I turned to our newest arrivals and the rest of the Cullens. "Now, I assume they've told you the basics?"

Tanya nodded and said, "Yeah, but it seems a bit hard to believe at points."

I glared at my Tribe, who happened to be looking anywhere but in my eyes at this point. "Take what they say with a grain of salt, please. I'd rather have my actions speak louder than their words. They embellish." I ignored their rolling eyes as I held up my handful of newly enchanted wares. "Now, my Tribe and I have some thank you gifts for coming, and whether you choose to stay or not these are yours to keep."

Emmett's eyes lit up when he recognized the amulets and rings for what they were and he lunged forward saying, "Hell _yes!_ Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!"

Rosalie yanked her husband back by the collar of his shirt, berating at the same time with "Emmett McCarthy Cullen, you sit down and wait your turn like the rest of us! Honestly!"

Properly disgruntled, Emmett sat back down with crossed arms and a frown on his face.

"What... are those?" Tanya asked, eying what was probably gaudy jewelry in their eyes.

I smiled and selected three necklaces at random, handing them over. "Here, put them on. I think you'll like the results."

They did as I asked and gasped just as the Cullens had. "What _are_ these?" Kate asked, eyes wide.

"Bella made them to convince the vampires who come to help us to hunt animals instead of humans so they don't get in trouble with the wolves!" Emmett said, grinning.

"But it was Alice's idea!" I said quickly, trying to shift the attention from myself. Before I knew it two strong sets of arms were squeezing me.

"Can we really keep them?" Kate asked from her attached position on my right side.

"Can we really?" Irene asked from the other side. I noticed Tanya was just standing a few feet off, staring at her amulet with an awestruck appearance.

"What all do they do?" The third sister asked, calmer than her other companions.

"Well," I said grinning as Alice sent black thoughts at the two woman clinging to me. I gently wormed my way out of their grips under the guise of handing out the rest of the adornments (amulets for the women and rings for the men.) "Long story short, a vampire's thirst is all a mind trick. The magic in these simply alters the way your brain perceives the impulses connected with blood and hunting, and switches the scents and tastes of human versus animal blood, though the actual chemistry of the blood stays the same, so feeding won't put you into a frenzy any more than hunting an animal would. Well, I guess you would still become rather feral if you drank from a human, but why would you want to now? Which brings me to their second feature. If you do purposefully hunt a human while wearing the amulet, you cannot remove it and the wolves will be able to track you down." I shrugged. "It was the best bargain we could come up with."

"It's fantastic!" Jasper said, having just received his own, a beautiful sapphire stone set in engraved silver.

"They're all yours," I grinned to all of the vampires in the room. The warmth and gratitude in the room was enough to set my entire Tribe smiling.

They tried to thank us, profusely even, but Aria stepped in and said, "The best thing about being a part of Bella's Tribe is that _this_ is our job. Not making money or earning honor, but really helping people. Even if she did all the leg work here," she added in, nudging me in my ribs, "It still brings pride to us to know that we are lead by someone who has stepped so far out of line in the right direction. So you don't need to thank us, doing this kind of stuff makes us better people and we're happy to do it."

Emmett chuckled and wiped fake tears away from his cheeks, voice choked and joking as he said, "How positively touching."

"Oh, be quiet, you," Jasper said, poking Emmett's forehead. His brother just laughed.

"So what now?" Tanya asked. "I still have so many questions. Who all is coming, who all will be here tonight? What will we be discussing, what is going _on_?"

"All in good time, Tanya. If we explained the whole situation and all it entails to everyone individually, we would be here until this time next year."

"How about you guys go out and hunt? Take the new amulets for a swing?" I smiled.

Kate beamed. "I like the sound of that." Her smile fell as new thoughts flickered behind her eyes. "Um, is it safe to go out just the three of us?"

I smiled apologetically and said, "Well, not really. I think breaking the group into two smaller hunting parties would be most advantageous."

"I nominate Rosie and I to go first!" Emmett said, jumping to his feet. "She is pregnant after all, and you know the saying, 'Woman and children first,' and she's both!"

Edward snickered and said, "Yeah, and so is Em. He's got a point." The biggest Cullen pouted but Rosalie just laughed and stood, patting his arm.

"C'mon big guy. Let's get this show on the road. It's been too long since I've had good blood."

Emmett offered up a lazy salute and said, "Yes ma'am!"

The three Denali's laughed and followed Emmett and Rosalie out the front door. Kate paused on the way out to wave back at my Tribe, calling out,"It was nice to meet you all! We'll have to talk when we get back," and then they were gone.

I sat down on the newly vacated loveseat with an audible thump and let my head fall into my hands.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, brows furrowing.

"Nothing, really. It's just hitting me how big this all is, and they're only the first group." I brought my head up to gaze around the room and asked with a slight smile on my face, "Do you have any idea how hard it is for a Hunter to get stressed?"

Loki materialized in front of the fire place and solidified into his physical form. "I have news," he said.

"What kind of news?" I asked. "Good news that will make me less stressed or bad news that will make me more stressed?"

"Our extended family has arrived," Loki said with a small grin. The Cullen's stiffened, all except for Alice, who read my thoughts, as they assumed I meant my Clan.

Three sharp raps sounded against the front door and I smiled, going to answer it. I heard Alice whisper, "It's not what you think."

Opening our wide double doors revealed nine beings who would at first glance appear human, but to those with the sight were surrounded by a faint golden glow. Leading the group were two men, one with shoulder length salt-and-pepper hair and beard, wearing a fine suit. The man beside him had wavy raven-black hair and wore a Tommy Bahama shirt. Both seemed to be in their forties. Behind them were two people, a boy and a girl, who seemed no more than nineteen. The boy was blond wit tanned skin and a muscled body. He wore a red, orange, and yellow tank and white board shorts. The girl beside him had auburn hair and pale yellow eyes, yet was just as toned as the surfer beside her. Behind _them_ was another pair, a woman and a man yet again. The woman was possibly the only being on the planet more beautiful than Rosalie, though they shared many of the same features, like blond hair and an hourglass figure. The man was scarred and brutal in appearance, with calloused hands and a disgruntled expression. Finally there were three, a woman of refined appearance in a gray pantsuit, a man in biker leathers flipping a knife around his hands, and a lanky man with a walking stick.

I smiled at them and stepped back, allowing them entrance. "Wow, what a turn out! It's great to see you all again."

The tension was thick for a moment before the first man in his suit smiled and laughed, extending a hand which I gladly shook. "Indeed it has. When was the last time you visited?"

"Three years, maybe?" I turned to face the Cullens who stared at our newest arrivals in bewilderment. "These," I said to our new arrivals, "Are the Cullen Coven. Their monarch and matriarch, Carlisle and Esme. Beside them are Edward and Jasper, and beside them is my newly found mate, Alice. We have two missing from our number, Emmett and Rosalie, who will return shortly with the Denali Coven. Cullens, may I introduce Lord Zeus and the gods of Olympus," I smiled.

I doubt I will ever forget their expressions, Edward and Carlisle's in particular.

Esme broke from her trance first and stepped forward, smiling. "It is lovely to meet you all. Please forgive our manners, but we're recent initiates to this world and it's a lot to take in."

Zeus grinned and offered a hand. "It's nice to meet you. If I may make introductions as well, I would have you meet my brother Poseidon, my fellow gods Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Athena, Ares, and Hermes."

I looked to Edward and saw his jaw working, though no sound came out. Alice, sensing my thoughts, spoke and said, "Forgive my brother Edward. He and Carlisle were rather immersed in religion of a distinctly Christian kind in their early life, so this has come as a bit of a shock to them."

"The great thing about religion," Ares said, stepping forward, "Is that names are stupid. You can call something whatever you want, but that doesn't change what it is. God, Allah, Jesus, doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts. If there's someone out there who can hear you and wants to help, well there ya go." He shrugged then turned to me. "Now, whatcha got to eat? I'm starved."

I smiled and we moved our entire group outside. I used my magic to dig a deep and wide fire pit while Aria and Rafael left to hunt game for my Tribe and the gods. In the mean time we caught the Olympians up on all our going-ons. We were discussing the latest happenings back at Askari Camp, which I had heard nothing from, when Emmett, Rosalie, and the Denalis returned.

"Woo, more people!" Emmett boomed, grinning. "Who are you? Or _what_ are you is probably a better question. Wait, wait! Don't tell me! I want to guess!" He put a finger to his lips, thinking hard. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could Edward blurred over to where he stood and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Will you never learn to think before you speak?" He growled.

I chuckled. "Emmett, these are the majority of the major greek gods."

Emmett's jaw dropped as soon as Edward removed his hand. Rosalie rolled her eyes and nudged her husband before stepping forward with all the poise and confidence of someone who's felt like a goddess herself for the majority of her life. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Rosalie and that idiot is my husband. The other three are our pseudo-cousins, Tanya, Kate, and Irene."

The gods eyed her carefully before Ares broke out laughing and said, "Eh Aphrodite, she one of yours?"

The goddess of beauty eyed Rosalie carefully before finally shrugging and saying, "Not sure. Granddaughter maybe, but I can hardly tell what with the vampirism mixed in."

"Eh," was all Ares said, shrugging.

"It's nice to meet any friend of Bella's," Zeus said before turning back to me and asking, "So. What do you need?"

"We're having a complete briefing later this evening, but I can give you a condensed version now. The short of it is my family tried to get rid of me, failed, and now they're coming to attack us along with the Volturi."

"And your retaliation?" Poseidon said, his face grave.

"I am massing an army, naturally," I said with a cheeky grin. "My family has done a wonderful job of making enemies, while my tribe has had a wonderful time with making friends. We just hope both parties have enough of each to shift the odds in our favor."

"How did you come to know of their plans?" Athena asked.

"Do you remember Birch?"

Apollo grinned. "Of course. He's one of my oracles, or at least he has the blood for it."

I nodded. "Precisely. He came into his gift already and warned us. We've been preparing ever since."

Apollo looked concerned about Birch's plight. "I will aid him when he returns then. It's odd, really. Have you ever pondered on why weird things always happen around you?"

I looked at him dryly. "I try not to think about it."

"It's probably for the best," he smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Gasp! A rare an elusive UPDATE has made itself known! What a momentous occasion! :D Quick, get a picture!**

We began to prepare a feast for later that night. By the looks of the quickly formed plans, it would make even Greek banquets look sparse. Our hunting party returned with two deer, a few wild turkey and other game birds, as well as a bear. Bear meat was ceremonious in Hunter culture. Eating it was said to bless you, give you a bear's strength and endurance. Bear was eaten before large battles, or to honor guests. Besides that we also foraged for wild edibles and returned with a bounty of balsamroot, burdock, cattail, chicory, clover and coltsfoot, dandelions, fireweed, goldenrod, sorrel, peppergrass and pickleweed, plantains, thistles and sunflowers, violets, wild ginger and wild licorice, wood lilies and glacier lilies as well. Upon returning, burdened with baskets of our labor, we found the gods and the other Cullens deep in a historical lecture. It was funny watching Edward and Carlisle, who were both devout Christian men, regard the gods with such awe. Lesser beings may have acted with hostility or fear at their steady beliefs being tugged out from under them but these two vampires seemed completely open minded. While Esme started slaving over the stoves and counter tops (we tried to help, but every time we even looked towards the kitchen she hurried us off) and the rest of us sat out in the living room and listened while the gods regaled us with stories from their long lives.

Tanya, Kate, and Irene were all exceedingly quiet and withdrawn. I mentioned this to Alice via our link and she frowned, saying _It's not like them, honestly. Normally Kate and Irene are cracking everyone else up, and Tanya is all over Edward. _

_ Should we do anything?_ I asked.

Alice just shrugged. _I don't know. We should probably let them come out of their shell on their own. This has to be extremely strange for them. It was for us._

_ But you love us now! _I grinned.

Alice went from sitting beside me on the couch to sitting on my lap, nestling her head under my chin, and on instinct my arms snaked around her waist. _We adore you now, _she said, and pecked me on the lips. _But I love you most_.

A high pitched squeal broke us from our trance, causing both Alice and I to startle. Looking up I saw Aphrodite staring at us with bright eyes and a beaming smile, hands brought up to her face like a small girl who just seen an especially fluffy kitten. "Oh me above, you two are just so _cute!_ I'm so jealous, you two have the best chemistry I've seen in so long! Leave it to Bella to end up with a girl like you, Alice, dear! I can hardly contain myself." She fanned her face as if she was feeling faint.

I flushed and Alice would have if she could have. "Don't you decide who gets together anyways? Goddess of Love and all that? Should you really be so surprised?" Alice asked with a small, embarrassed grin.

Aphrodite waved a hand, dismissing the notion. "No, not really. I can't _make_ anyone do anything. I just steer people in the right direction, and only if they really need it. I help the desperate. I simply can't bear to see people unloved. Bella was always loved by her Tribe, you were loved by your coven. Neither of you came up on my radar, but you found each other anyways!" She squealed again.

Edward chuckled a bit, seemingly to himself, though the Goddess picked up on it anyways.

"What's so funny?" she asked, seeming genuinely interested.

Edward grinned, a twinkle in his eye. "Nothing, really. It's just... well, you are all obviously deities. And as Ares said, names don't matter, so you're just the manifestation of all the deities everywhere, right?"

Aphrodite nodded, a brow raised in expectation.

"Well then, technically the bible would be written and styled after you all. I was taught that homosexuality was a horrible sin by the Christian faith, yet here you are, _gods_, smiling at it. I don't know, it's funny," he shrugged. "Surreal, a little bit."

Aphrodite grinned, and some of the other gods smirked as well. "Let me tell you something about people, and something about love," she began. "Everyone is at one point youthful, and then eventually they grow old. Eventually they die. During this span people are constantly fluid and changing on the outside, but the soul inside everyone remains the same. You are taught to love a person who completes you, to find a soul mate, yet society says you must first find the right body to suit your own. That is _wrong_. It's the soul that counts because that will always remain. Why chase a body that will fade, if it's the soul that suits you? Your ancestors knew the right of it." She shrugged and sat back.

Thinking over her words made me smile because I knew she was right. When I had first met Alice, I hadn't spared a moment to consider that she was a girl because my gut told me she was my perfect fit. I felt so strongly then, looking back on it, I can't imagine how anyone would be able to overlook all that simply for gender.

Edward grinned and said, "Exactly."

Midday was growing old when the magic of our barrier announced new arrivals. Loki, who had been lounging on the front porch (it was too crowded inside for our spirits companions) announced that Arin and his thieves had arrived. I sighed and stood, conveying the information to the rest of the group. Rafael grinned and said, "It's about time!"

I dropped the barriers as the group moved outside to meet them. I had to admit, I got a special thrill at seeing Arin's thieves skulking around. Right before my eyes, shadows became eyes, then limbs, then bodies, then they all melted from the woods as one, on silent feet. I smiled and stepped forward, my tribe by my side. Through our link I knew that Alice planned to stand beside her family, uncertain whether or not it would be proper to accompany me. _Come on,_ I said. _You're just as much a part of this as anyone else here._

I felt her smile more than I saw her. With my pixie at my side we stepped forward as Arin did. He was accompanied by his two best thieves, one dark elf and a werecat, the first called Samian, which was the elvish word for 'silent' and the latter called simply Claw. Samian's skin was the color of ash, his eyes were a deep purple, and he wore a flashy ensemble of black boiled leather. His face was long and angular, pointed ears laden with gold and jeweled rings sprouted from the side of his head. A scraggly goatee covered Samian's chin. Claw wore a myriad of skins. Around his neck was a string of fangs, all trophies from killed rivals and enemies. He had the face and muzzle of a lynx, yet hauntingly human eyes. His hands and feet look as if a cat's paws had been pulled and stretched until they resembled a humans, but weren't quite there yet. From each finger protruded inch long claws that would rip through the toughest hide. Fangs dropped from his lower lip when he close his mouth. Most thieves, upon crossing the line from lawful to lawless left their old selves behind, but Claw had stayed true to his race's customs.

Arin spoke first, saying, "Bella, it is lovely to see you under these circumstances."

"You mean on the eve of what may be the largest battle known to Hunter kind?"

"On the eve of a long overdue revolution, actually," he smiled and chuckled.

I rolled my eyes then turned to his seconds. "Samian, Claw, it is a pleasure to see you both well."

"The same could be said for you, Cai'ik Bella," Claw said, his voice throaty and raspy in the werecat's way.

However, his words caused my throat to tighten. Cai'ik was the title given to a beloved leader, a pride mother. It was not the same as Queen, which was Ti-lah, but a heavier, more intimate version. In condoned trust and faith to deliver their followers from evil and harm. It was the highest of honors.

"You flatter me, Claw, but I am no Cai'ik. Simply Bella."

"Simply Bella has never been simple, and she should know such things by now," Claw said with a shrug.

I moved on from the subject, scared of discussing it further. I looked over Arin's shoulder to the ranks standing behind him, haphazard and silent. The thieves' guild was known for being unfriendly and easily provoked, not so much a brotherhood as a loose association. I knew what it meant for them to have gathered on my behalf. I stepped around Arin to address them.

"Well, I doubt I could ever tell you all how joyful I am to see you here. You honor me with your presence, that you would choose to fight by my side."

"It was not a choice, m'lady," a voice called out from the crowd. "It is duty. Not only to you, the true heir, but to our own heirs."

Voices rang out in agreement. "Our babes and granbabes need a place t'grow wi'out ta threat o' bein' killed sim'ly for bein' in ta wrong place at ta wrong time."

I felt a blush crawling up my cheeks. "That's what I hope for, truly. But this battle will be bloody. Some of you may not survive to have grandbabies, or see your families ever again. If at any point you wish to leave for the safety of your homes, no one will think you craven. What should have been settled by myself and my family alone has blossomed, and the fault is my own."

Curses on my family and all those that followed them were cast about, vehement and passionate. I smiled, despite myself.

"For now, we have created lodging for you down this path. Settle in, learn the area, whatever you choose. Just beware, there is a human settlement barely ten miles southeast. When then sun touches the horizon a war meeting will begin. Unfortunately, you won't all fit, but we will set up a spell that allows you to hear and see what goes on so none will be uniformed."

The thieves clasped a fist to their chests and bowed before Arin, Samian, and Claw began to direct them. Before he left Arin turned and wordlessly clasped a hand on my shoulder.

Once the thieves had displaced completely, I let loose a breath, sagging down.

"What's wrong?" Rafael asked.

"This is going to be a disaster. How many of those men and women are going to die because of my own folly?"

"And what, praytell, was your folly?" he asked.

"Not settling my business on my own. Dragging all these other poor folk into it."

Strong hands clasped around my shoulders and heaved me upwards and spun me around. I let loose a squeak of surprise, only to come face to face with Emmett. "Now you listen here!" he said. "We Cullens have a knack for getting into trouble. We're used to it. Nevermind the fact the you are Alice's mate, which means you won't be able to get rid of us even if you tried! From what I understand, your family is stone-dead evil, and these people coming to help us have been trashed by them for years! So let them fight! They'll do it eventually, with or without you. So give them the best chance possible!"

I stared wordlessly at him.

"Emmett..." Alice said, speechless. Then finally, a smile rack across her face. "You said something smart!"

He smirked down at her, saying, "I have my moments!"

Esme, laughing, broke the trance. "Bella, what time did you and the wolves agree on?"

"Around seven, why?"

"Well, it's six thirty now. Do you think perhaps we should have someone waiting at the border for when they arrive?"

"I volunteer!" Holly said, raising her hand and smiling.

I laughed. "Of course you do. That's a good idea Esme, to prevent another run-in with the barrier. Sure, Holly and Aria, do you want to go show them in when they arrive?"

"Of course," Aria said with a smile. If you want we could also do a quick run around the borders, check security and what not, make sure everything is still holding up?"

"That'd be great," I smiled and they were off.

A whistle had me turning around to see Arin waltzing up to us.

"Well that was quick," I said to him.

He just shrugged. "I've given the others first pick, I doubt I'll be sleeping much anyways. So who all do you have coming here, Bella?"

I smiled and said, "A few Covens of vampires, a pack of shapeshifters, six dragons, my tribe, and whoever you've managed to rustle up."

Arin moved to lean against one of the porch's support beams. He smiled and shook his head, saying, "Bella, Bella, Bella. What would you do without me?"

I just rolled my eyes. "What are you bringing to the table?"

"My guild of course, about forty, and then Claw has pulled in some WereClans, we've got maybe fifty there. I know some elves outside my guild who are coming, maybe fifteen of them. Maybe one hundred ex-cons who are swinging by and maybe another hundred or so who are willing to work with you if you will grant them amnesty."

I frowned and said, "Amnesty for anything less than murder, you tell them that."

Arin nodded slowly saying, "That's maybe seventy or so."

"Alright," I nodded slowly. "So almost three hundred and fifty. Those odds aren't bad. Could be better though."

Arin frowned and said, "Bella, what are you going to do if this force retreats and remasses?"

I sighed. "I don't know. I'm hanging onto the hope that we'll catch them by surprise. I've got dampening spells on the entire area, they should be able to sense all the creature here until it's too late. I figure if we can cage them in, it'll be okay."

"But if not?" he asked.

I just shook my head. "It has to work."

"I have faith in you, I always have. And your hunches are usually right, but this is just so important."

"Hey, I figure we've got probably another week before we really need to start worrying about them showing up. If you can call in anyone else by then."

"I'll see what I can do," he said solemly.

"Us too, Bella," a new voice entered our conversation. Poseidon and Zeus had come to stand nearby. "We're damn old, we have some friends of our own, children too. We can call some of them in."

I took a deep breath. "Yeah. Alright." Loath as I was to bring anyone else into this mess, I knew Arin was right. This was just too important to dance on the edge of crippling our entire effort with my fears.

A hand slipped into my own and I looked to see Alice smiling up at me. "Don't worry so much, Bella."

A piercing roar split the air and we all flinched. Rafael started laughing first, and we all looked up as six hulking shapes zoomed over our heads. "I think we'll be just fine."

The Cullens and Denalis, the gods and the thieves all rushed out to see six dragons circle over head before landing in the back yard, the only cleared space large enough for all of them. Thorskir, the largest, was nearly forty feet long and covered in glittering emerald covered scales. His mate was blue in color and somewhat smaller, possibly thirty five feet in length. I knew one of the smallest dragons, each possibly twenty feet in length, one orange and the other white in color, to be their offspring and one to be it's mate though I wasn't sure which was which. The other grown dragons were of similar sizes to Thorskir and his mate, the big male was of a golden color and the other was a ducky pinkish hue.

I smiled and ran forward as Birch and Archer slid down from between Thorskir and his mate's shoulders. "So how was your trip?" I asked, jovial. I could sense Alice's amazement and knew it was likely mirrored by everyone else who had yet to lay eyes on one of these magnificent creatures.

"It was great!" Birch said, smiling. "It was awesome. And you'll never guess what we ran into on the way back."

"What?" I asked with a smile.

"A group of Askari scouts."

My stomach jumped into my throat, I felt my face pale. "What?" I asked.

"Easy there Bella, there's more to it. We found them before they found us, but just as we were about to, well, _take care of it_, a herd of centaurs swept through."

My jaw dropped.

"No joke! They came through and did our job for us. When we walked out of the trees they nearly shot us down as well, but their leader recognized us from our mission last spring."

"The flood plains, right," I nodded. "So what happened?"

"They said they had heard whispers in the trees about stirring tidings. They asked if we knew anything. I told them that we might, depending on what their intentions were. They agreed to be put under a truth spell, I was worried about spies and all."

"Even after they had just killed a group of scouts?" Edward asked.

"Don't underestimate Bella's family," Arin muttered darkly. "That's exactly the kind of stunt they would pull. Send a group of low ranking youngsters with no experience out, have their allies scout real threats and create a scene to gain trust. It's happened before."

"Anyways, after we were certain the centaurs meant no harm to us, I said if they were interested in hearing more than just whispers, to follow us. They did, they should be here by tomorrow."

I smiled. "That's wonderful, Birch." I turned to Thorskir and said, "And it's great to see you again, old friend. How have you been?"

"Wonderful," Thorskir answered. A dragon's voice was an odd thing, a mixture between a snake's hiss and the human voice of a heavy smoker. Distinct, with subtle magic undertones that made you want to listen to them talk for hours. Dragons were excellent story tellers, unsurprisingly. "It is good to see you as well. I believe certain introductions are in order?"

"Yes, please." I smiled.

"This is my mate, Maeesi and our hatchling Ordil, and his mate Ji'ivska." As it was, the orange dragon was his son, and the white was his son's mate. "My long time friends Haemin and Keilo have agreed to join us as well." I bowed to each of them, smiling.

"It is wonderful to see you all here and well. Thank you for helping us."

"Dragons are no fans of oppression, young Hunter," Haemin purred, his voice deep and warm. "And Thorskir has spoken very highly of you on many an occasion. We are happy to set things in order once more."

I smiled and went about introducing the Cullens and Denalis, the gods and certain members of Arin's thieves guild.

We had hardly finished when Aria ran up, announcing that the wolves had arrived. I smiled and let the boundaries down. "I feel like we'll spend more time introducing that we will getting any work done."

"Bella, with so many people here do you think we should relocate somewhere else after all this is over with. While of course here the wards are keeping us safe, there are only so many supernatural creatures we can house in one area before the humans start to get antsy," Carlisle said, approaching me.

"I know. Once we are absolutely prepared for battle, we will move to a new camp, I should think."

Thudding pawsteps were heard through the woods and we turned to see Sam heading the pack, who slowly came to a walk and then a halt, just staring at the dragons, elves, werecats, the odd goblin and dwarf mixed in with Arin's group, and the gods.

"Hey Sam!" I said, waving, trying to hold back laughter at his shocked expression. "Welcome to our world!"

Holly laughed and ran up to Seth, ruffling his fur. He licked her face. "I think you should go change back and then we can have a civilized conversation." A pause then the turned to the alpha and said, "Yes Sam, you're perfectly safe. Just go on."

Seth rolled his eyes as the black wolf huffed and back peddled into the brush. It wasn't long before they reappeared, all ten of them, side by side. "Well this is a bit of a shock to the system," Sam mumbled.

"We'll fill you in-"

"Once the war council starts," Arin, the Cullens, the Denalis, and the Gods finished for me. I scowled at them.

"Well then!" I said with a 'hmpf.'

Carlisle's mobile went off and we waited. Finally snapping it shut again, Carlisle looked to us and said, "Good news. The Amazons, The Irish coven, and Romanians, and the Egyptians have all just landed in Seattle. Apparently they coordinated, they'll be here in time as well."

I smiled, even as the wolves stiffened. "Tell them not to hunt on the way here, that we have something for them."

Carlisle smiled and began typing away at his key pad.

I turned to Arin and said, "Any idea when your other forces will arrive?"

"Before sun down," he said with a smiled. We all looked to the horizon and thought we had maybe another hour or two.

"This is all quite well put together, Bella," Artemis said with a grin. "Well scheduled."

I shrugged. "Hey, when things work, they work." Now that my tribe was together once more, I was back into Alpha mode, and they sensed it. The natural knowledge, the ability to know what must be done coursed through me. I was alive with possibilities and probabilities, a million options swarming my mind. I felt so, so alive. Rafael, Archer, Aria, Birch, and Holly lined up before me, standing at attention. "Alright, we still have a lot to do before the meeting. Rafael, Archer, I want you to go do an inventory of what equipment everyone has, what needs to be made, and what could stand a few more enchantments. Arin, if you could help that'd be great."

"Right-o," they said and split off.

"Aria, Birch, we'll probably need a _lot_ more food. Take the companions and gather more meat, if you could. Be careful."

They too split.

Holly, I want you and the wolves, if they don't mind, to put up a screen that we're going to use as a large two way scrying surface so those who can't fit in the war room can still participate."

"Aye-aye," she said, heading off towards the barracks, waving at the wolves to follow. A few, Seth, Jared, Quill, and Embry followed her.

I looked to the dragons and said, "I want to bump up the protection this area has. Thorskir I know you're excellent at spell craft, but I'm not sure about the rest of you."

"Haemin has the strongest magic of any dragon I've ever met," Keilo said with a smiled.

I smiled. "Alright, if you would come with me we can-"

"Surely there are more important things for you to do here," Thorskir said. "We can handle it."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Alright, if you have any questions, let me know."

They flew off.

I turned to Arin's remaining thieves and said, "How many of you can smith?"

Several elves and every dwarf raised their fists. I smiled.

"Excellent. Would any of you be willing to assist us in the forges once Archer and Rafael's inventory comes back?"

A volley of agreements came forward and I found my smile growing wider. This was finally coming together.

"What about us?" Ares asked.

My brows came together. "What do you mean?"

"Surely there's a task suitable for us?" Hermes said with a smile.

"Well... uh," I stumbled. The thought of asking the gods to do anything akin to my bidding was preposterous to me.

"Bella, you're the Commander here," Poseidon said. "This is your show. You were born to lead, we're here to help. Tell us what you need."

I smiled. "Well... alright. Hephaestus, your help in the forges would be outstanding. Poseidon, if you have any Cyclopes that wouldn't mind helping, that would be marvelous too. Hermes, I might need you to see if we can get in contact with any other allies. Apollo, if you could keep an eye on the future, see if we can't get anymore foresight about what we're facing, it would be appreciated. Artemis, could you help me train the troops starting tomorrow?"

She smiled and nodded.

I sighed a big sigh of relief. Suddenly it didn't feel like it was me against the world anymore. I looked around me to see a camp abuzz with fighting spirit and general motion. Suddenly, we weren't moving at a snails pace, we were _doing_ things. Important things. It was foolish, probably, but I felt like maybe we'd come out of this okay. That everything was going to work out.

A small form nudged my side and once more I looked down into Alice's tawny eyes. "It'll all be okay," she mumbled in affirmation. Smiling I leaned down and captured her lips with mine, because I really and truly believed her.

**A/N: so this was largely filler. I think, _maybe_ there will be one more chapter and then the big shebang! So there's that to look forward to, right? Anyways, I hope you liked it!**

**Also, a side note, I deeply apologize for any incongruities within this chapter. It was written off and on in shorts bursts and let me tell you, I've forgotten a lot of the smaller details :/ So... sorry in advance. **

**Reviews make me happy :3 I love you all!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: WOO! Updates ON TIME! Awesome, right? :D Gotta love holiday breaks. Anyways, this chapter is... _mostly_ filler, a few important details tossed in, but it's all wrapping up the loose ties before the big day. So yeah! Read on!**

Within the hour, hordes of new troops arrived, one after the other. After the ex-cons showed, and we were still expecting another seventy or so looking for amnesty, I sent the Vampires out to clear some of the trees on our land to make room for more barracks, which I hurriedly built. Carlisle eagerly introduced me to his friends and we discussed their gifts in short. They, like all the other vampires and the wolves of course, were baffled but we gave them the same promise as everyone else. One group in particular set me smiling. Stefan and Vladimir of the Romanian Coven.

"An honor to meet you," Stefan said with a polite little bow.

"An honor to meet you as well. Thank you for coming," I replied.

"Our pleasure. We told Carlisle years ago that it was only a matter of time before the Volturi would need overthrown, and to kindly contact us when he decided to take action. His call was more than welcome," Vladimir mused, seemingly delighted.

"Ah, we've brought some friends of our own, if you don't mind over much."

My brows shot upward. "Any friend of yours is a friend of ours, I'm sure. Enemies of the Volturi, I assume?"

Stefan chuckled. "There's deep hatred and bad blood between them, I assure you. They merely need your permission to cross the border, I believe."

My brows knit together and I realized for the first time that with so many creatures here I had a poor sense of the border, but there were indeed several beings waiting for admittance. Sensing them finally, I gasped. "Children of the Moon?" I let the barriers down.

Carlisle looked surprised, but said nothing.

"How did you get them to band together? Their packs are so well hidden..."

"A promise to bring down their oppressors was enough to join them. We've had contact with them over many years, struggling to plan a rebellion of our own, you know."

Now Carlisle did speak, his voice laced with laughter. "Vladimir, Stefan, how naughty of you. Caius will be most displeased to see them here."

Stefan snorted derisively, "We don't much care _what_ Caius thinks, thank you very much."

"Of course not," I said, laughing.

The Children of the Moon, or rather, _real_ werewolves arrived then. The stalked through the trees, in human form but stealthy none the less. They stiffened upon seeing vampires, naturally, but approached nonetheless. A quick count, once they had all come to stand before me, set them around forty in number. I recognized a familiar face and smiled, walking forward.

"Well, if it isn't old Skyler McAllistor."

A tall, willowy woman, no more than twenty years old in appearance even though I knew her real age to be closer to two hundred, fixed her gaze on me. Her blond hair was flawlessly straight and so pale it was nearly silver. Her skin was tanned and lightly freckled. She wore boiled leather armor and a mix of chainmail.

"Isabella Ravensage," she mused, stepping forward with a hand extended, a frisky light to her eyes. I felt Alice's bubbling jealousy within my mind and I soothed her quickly.

While stepping forward to shake her hand, I pulled Alice with me, into my side. "It's great to see you again. I'd also like to introduce my newly discovered mate, Alice Cullen."

Skyler beamed at us both and shook Alice's hand as well. "A Cullen, eh? You couldn't have done better, Bella. I'm very happy for you both."

"You've heard of us?" Alice asked, curiosity piqued.

Skyler chuckled. "Of course! Any self respecting Child of the Moon knows of the Cullens. The Volturi's worst enemies, and thus, our allies. It's an honor to meet you."

Alice would have blushed if she could have.

I redirected the conversation, turning back to Skyler and the wolves that stood in loose ranks behind her. "Are you in command, Skyler?"

The pale wolf grinned, "Naturally."

I met her confidence with a dry smile. "Naturally," I agreed. "Thank you for coming, I suppose."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she sighed.

Just then Holly appeared at my side, several wolves at her tail. "The screens are up Bella, but I can't cast the scrying enchantment. Do you think you could..." she trailed off, looking sheepish.

"Of course. I'll be right there." I looked to the horizon and saw the sun was just dusting the farthest tree line I could see. I turned to the crowd of gathered supernaturals and smiled. "Alright, you lot!" I called out as loud as my voice would go. A quiet fell over us. "The time has come! Our War Meeting will begin momentarily. Will those in command please enter the house to be led into the War Room, and the rest of you head to your barracks, where scrying screens will be set up so all might participate. Recent arrivals, my Tribe can help you find places to settle. Within the week we will be moving to larger living arrangements, so don't get too comfortable just yet. We still have a long road ahead of us."

They answered me with a roar and I smiled. I jogged along with Holly to find the screens they had erected. They were large pieces of canvas, maybe twelve feet by twelve feet. First I knelt down and, palm on the ground, searched for precious metals and gems that would hold a spell. The fragments of each were minute, infantile, but I reached far into the earth and drew up what I could. I ended with a lump of diamond, a lump of gold, two sapphires, and a lump of emerald. I held the diamond in my palm and around it wrapped a spell.

"Alice?" I asked, looking around for her.

"Here," she said with a smile.

"Can you go find one of your family members, have them run this down to the HQ, tell them to put it somewhere up high. It'll decide what projected onto the screens."

"Sure," she said with a smiled, leaned up to peck me on the lips, then dashed off. I watched her go.

"Eyes over here, killer. We've got work to do," Holly laughed.

"Aw, shut up," I grumbled then turned back to the other precious stones. Around each I wrapped another spell that would receive and them project the magic from the diamond. The stones would act as a battery, almost, for the screens. To each screen, I link it to a stone. The closest screen was link to the gold, the next to the emerald, and the two farthest were linked to sapphires. With that done I turned to Holly and said, "Alright! I'll head down to the HQ then, set this up and hope it works."

"We all know it will," Holly said with a laugh.

I punched her lightly in the shoulder and we jogged back to the house where the rest of my tribe waited. "Well?" I asked.

"It's pretty crowded in there," Rafael said. "We decided that I'll accompany you down there, the others will stay above with the troops."

"Who all is down there?" I asked.

"Carlisle, Tanya from the Denalis, Zafrina from the Amazons, Amun from the Egyptians, Siobhan from the Irish, Vladimir from the Romanians, Sam from the Quilleutes, Arin, Skyler is representing the Children of the Moon, Ki'mal is representing the WereClans, Oielun from the Elves, two leaders from Dwarven and Goblin clans, and Zeus. I think."

I rubbed my temples. "Oh dear. Alright then, yeah, staying above sounds like a good idea." I sighed.

"Now or never," Alice said with a smiled and I smiled too.

"Right. See you guys when this is all over with."

The bid me adieu and Rafael, Alice and I walked inside. We made our way to the double doors that led to the stairway that would descend into our recently built HQ, which I _still_ hadn't seen. I walked down slowly, taking in the scents of freshly hewn wood and general newness. Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs I was blown away. Esme had outdone herself.

The room had been dug out, widening it by perhaps ten feet on every side, then reinforced with metal and wood. Cedar beams supported the walls and from them hung maps. Between the beams, book shelves rung the room. The very center, however, had been lowered by about a foot increment every few feet, and chairs circled that so everyone would be able to see the focus of the room, our large map. The map had been set up onto an ornate table, around which sat ten large chairs. I smiled.

"Wow," I muttered.

"Isn't it awesome?" Rafael beamed.

"It really is. Esme outdid herself." I walked quickly over to where Emmett, I assumed, had placed the diamond. I adjusted it slightly then lay my hands against an unfurnished section of the wall. In four quadrants I set up the secondary scrying points, the receiving feed, and like a TV screen the pictures popped up. On each smaller screen I saw rows and rows of elves, dwarves, goblins, werecreatures, the wolves, the dragons, all of them. I smiled and waved. Some smiled and waved back, other saluted. "Can you hear me?" I asked and a volley of affirmations came back. "Wonderful. Let's get started then."

For the first few minutes I caught up everyone who did not already have a basic knowledge of Hunters and my clan in particular. I outlined the atrocities my family had committed and also mentioned why I didn't want to take the throne, and how I had come to Forks in the first place. Once we were all on the same page we discussed logistics. We did a headcount, and found that at that very moment we had three hundred and seventy six fighting bodies at the ready, with possibly thirty five to forty more coming in, if the centaurs arrived and the gods were able to recruit some of their children. Using the map we discussed possible battle positions, what landscapes we could use to our advantage.

"Right now, we have the advantage," Rafael said, looking over the map. "We know they're coming and we have the home field. They're coming to find us, so we can decide just where that will be."

"Do you think they'll get suspicious if suddenly we just relocate?" Skyler asked with a frown.

"Possibly," I said. "But by the time they realize we're not where they thought we would be, it will be too late for them to gather more troops. We could take the offensive then."

"An ambush?" Sam asked.

"We should plan for one," I said. "And for them ambushing us. And for night attacks and day attacks, snow and rain, and storms. We need to cover all the bases."

And we did. Hours were spent discussing possibilities, strategies, what everyone brought tot he table. It was endless, the things we could do. We needed to figure out what our best advantage would be, was the problem.

"And if they attack on a New Moon?" Skyler asked. "The Children would be practically useless."

Carlisle turned to me and said, "Bella was able to create an amulet that negated our natural thirst. Would you be able to assist the Children in that possibility?"

I nodded slowly. "I should think so, yes."

"The dragons would be the most advantageous against the Volturi," Arin said. "If we could hide them and have them swoop in and torch the Volturi, possibly a few Askari, that's half their force down right there."

"We can't just torch the forest," Rafael frowned.

"Advantages of choosing our turf," I said. "I can spell it against fire."

"So it is imperative we bring them to us," Carlisle said.

I scanned the room and finally said, "What do you think of this. Arin, your thieves would be the first wave. You can get around without anyone seeing you, and you have deadly accuracy with bows and the like. We will pick a terrain that offers only one way to reach us and hide your thieves along it. Get behind them and begin picking off Hunters. You will have the best odds of getting in and getting out unseen, taking them down from their full power and the fewest casualties that early in the game."

He just nodded.

"After, the dragons can come in. We... we won't spell the forest against flames," I said quietly.

"What?" Rafael asked, eyes narrowed.

"We'll have to get in an evacuate before the battle, but we need to make sure the Volturi can't escape. Hunters will be reluctant too, it's no mean feat to put out dragon flames. Then we'll have them."

"What about our vampires?" Carlisle asked.

"I can spell our battle area but leave the surroundings to burn," I said. "Anyways, after the dragons cage them in, they can do another sweep over the Volturi and Hunters. I'd wager the Askari will be protected, but it's not in my family's nature to protect those under their command. I doubt the Volturi will be able to escape it. Besides, they probably don't even know we have dragons on our side." I looked up at the screen that showed Thorskir and his friends and smiled. He smirked in return.

"After that, they should be substantially weakened," I said. "Our main force, which we can put together in ranks once we've seen the skills of everyone during their training, will be waiting for the survivors. The shapeshifters and the Children of the Moon are geared to destroy vampires, the Volturi can be your responsibility."

"Caius hates them so much, he may even divide the Volturi from your family's cause, Bella. He might split their force," Carlisle mused.

"We can only hope," I sighed. "After that, it will likely be a free for all. We will need to have everyone warded and protect from most magics and with magic weapons of their own."

"That is an enormous amount of work," Skyler said, her brows furrowed.

I just shrugged hopelessly, "Yes, but it's also necessary. I know every casualty will haunt me until the day I die. I never wanted it to reach this point, so I'm going to do everything I can to protect everyone, even if it means running my magic dry."

"You're going to spell the entire battle area, all our weapons and armor, you're maintaining these barriers as we speak and all these spells, along with organizing this entire army?" Arin asked, his normal joking tone strangely quiet.

I just shrugged, helpless once more.

"Well," he said. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I feel quite safe." He smiled, as did the others.

The troops outside cheered my name, a chant growing into a roar and I blushed. I quickly called them back to order and we were back into it, discussing weapons and armor, what was there and what needed to be made, how much food we would need a day. Finally, with the time reaching near midnight, we filed outside to the waiting troops. Many approached me and clapped me on the shoulder, said words of encouragement I really didn't feel I deserved. Mostly to distract them, which I will admit to no one but Alice because she knew anyways, I announced that it was time for the feast to begin.

As it was, Arin's thieves had brought with them barrels of mead and ale, which flowed generously. Vast quantities of meats were eaten, carcasses picked to the bone. Stews had been made and pies, sweets and breads of all sorts, from those you could buy at a store to those ground and baked from acorn flour. It was a medley of different cultures. The dwarves had brought candies and the fungi they feasted on in their cave homes, which they generously shared. Goblins were famous for their spicy dishes, and the elves had a way with greens and the like. I felt bad for the vampires who couldn't enjoy such things until the Children of the Moon decided to feast their other bodies as well. The Vampires left with them, a symbolic hunt in many ways I suppose. The elves brought out their lutes and lyres and played until the sun rose again. I told them to rest well, because training would start at noon.

The next day we gathered deeper into the woods. Before me stood three groups. On the far left the Cullens and the Quilleutes stood with a few younger members of the werewolf packs. They identified themselves as having no skills with weaponry at all. In the middle, the largest group, were proficient. These were most of Arin's thieves, many of the WereClans, the ex-cons and those looking for amnesty. On the far right stood the experts, the masters in one discipline or another. My tribe stood there, and many of the commanders from our War Meeting. I stood before them all.

"Alright, kiddos!" I called out, even though many of them were much older than I. "This is your last easy start! Pat your biceps, prod your thighs, go ahead! If you feel any give, well, that's going to change. Tomorrow we're up at dawn and training all day!"

Some looked weary, some looked excited... some still looked hung over, but that was expected.

"My experts," I turned to the far right group. "Please organize yourself into disciplines. Archery, hand-to-hand, short swords, long swords, small blades, spell craft. If you have mastered multiple disciplines, please place yourself where you appear to be most needed."

As it was, things were well aligned. I looked between my remaining two groups and thought for a long moment. "Alright, Cullens and Quilleutes. Today you are going to fight one another. I know, I know, a long awaited prospect." They grinned amongst themselves. "You wolves are going to need real training against vampires, I'm not just throwing you in willy-nilly. If any Children of the Moon would like some of these lessons, feel free to join them." I watched as they rearranged themselves once more.

"Alright, then. The rest of you! Split yourselves up in the discipline you need the most. I want to cover them all before the big day, but for now, the most important for the part you'll be playing in the battle." Once more they rearranged themselves. I smiled.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" And so it began. I walked from group to group, giving advice and offering myself up as a sparring partner. Depending on the level of the training, sometimes we used wooden staffs, sometimes sharpened swords. We went over forms and techniques, blocking and how to properly hold a sword even. I gave each person I practiced with homework, of a sort, forms to practice and exercises to do. The archers made targets from bales of straw and meadow grass, and were practicing drawing and shooting. Arin took a group into the woods to teach silent walking and concealment. I took special pleasure in watching a burly dwarf take down full grown elves with a double-handed sword, despite a four foot height difference.

During one of these scans I realized something seemed off. I did a quick headcount, and noticed two people were missing. "Raf!" I called out and from the seething masses my sweaty beta trotted up.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Where's Jake and Skyler? I saw them both before, Skyler was going to help teach hand-to-hand and Jake was with Sam and them."

Rafael frowned and scanned with me. "I don't know," he said finally.

"Something's going on. I'm gonna go find them."

Rafael nodded and trotted back to his group.

"Loki!" I called out and he materialized beside me. "Have _you_ seen Jake or Skyler?"

He just shrugged, a sly smile on his face.

"You do know! You know everything. Where are they?" I questioned.

"I can show you," he said, his ethereal form turning solid. I vaulted onto his back and he loped off into the woods.

I heard a series of muffled curses and thumps and Loki came to a stop. The first thought that entered my mind was... highly unpleasant. I paled. "Are they..."

"It's not what you think," Loki chuckled.

I hopped off his pack and padded silently through the brush. Spotting them, I sighed and shook my head. Jake was cowering, actually, trying to cover his face as Skyler swatted at him, tan face flushed with anger, blond hair askew. "What! The! Hell! Mutt!" she growled out.

"I'm sorry!" Jake said. "I just thought you should know!"

"And what am I supposed to do about this? I don't _want_ an imprint!" she seethed and I blinked.

Oh.

I sighed and leaned against a broad tree, crossing my arms over my chest. The movement alerted them to my presence because they both froze and turned to me. Once more I shook my head in a disparaging way.

"Dammit, you need to wear a bell!" Skyler muttered.

"As loathe as I am to break up this little scene, we've missed you at training. Jake needs it, you know. He's the perfect mixture of hot headed and no experience. Of course him getting torn to bits would certainly solve your little problem, wouldn't it, Sky?" I asked with a lopsided grin.

She shoved Jake away and turned to me. "You can't tell _anyone_ about this! My pack would disown me if they knew I'd bonded with one of... of _them_!"

I saw the hurt flash behind Jake's eyes and I frowned, sympathy welling up. "One of them? I don't know Skyler, the Quilleutes are formidable warriors. Besides, Jake is the rightful alpha. He has a prestigious bloodline. Sam only leads because he turned first and Jake hasn't bothered to fight him for the right."

Both Jake and Skyler looked surprised. "How did you know that?" Jake asked.

"I'm me, that's how," I said, sniffing. "Anyways, be gentle with the guy. Not everyone can handle spitfires like you right off the bat, yeah?"

Skyler smiled mischievously and Jake gulped. I turned to the young male and said, "In advance, I'm so, so sorry. Now both of you, get your _fluffy asses_ back to training or so help me, I will announce the nuptials myself."

"But Bella!" Jake said. "If I transform, the entire pack will know..."

I sighed and stalked up to him. He flinched but I ignored him, laying a hand on his temple. I muttered a few words under my breath and then stepped back. "There! I've blocked your thoughts from them. If they ask why, tell them I'm doing an experiment for the battle, and because you snuck off, you were the test subject. Skyler, you saw him wander off and went to fetch him. In truth, he was just using the bathroom. Fill in as many embarrassing details as you'd like."

She smiled and Jake paled.

"Now get going!" I said, shoving them back towards the practice field.

The weeks progressed that way. I took astounding pride in watching an already proficient batch of creatures turn into deadly, battle ready troops. The centaurs arrived the day after training began and settled right in, adding new skills to our training medley. The dwarves, dragons, my tribe and I spent long hours in the forge, smithing and enchanting anything that we could get our hands on, and even after expanding the forge _twice_ we were still cramped for space. I took special joy in teaching the Cullens swordcraft and outfitting them in their armor. Alice in particular, was surprisingly proficient in battle. Her armor was black steel plate, wrought with every damn spell and enchantment I could think of. Her sword was a short sword, with metal to match her armor.

Finally, after a week of intense training, we were all coming together. I made the decision one night in front of a camp fire, surrounded by the group I had come to call my Generals, that we wuld move to our battle grounds tomorrow.

"It won't be long now," Apollo murmured and nudged Birch. "Isn't that right."

Birch just smiled and nodded.

"How is all that coming along?" I asked, curious.

"He's a natural," Apollo said. "I swear, some of your special juju has rubbed off on everyone you come into contact with."

I just shrugged, then, "Anything specific?"

"Before this time next week, I think," Birch sighed, obviously distraught.

I looked around the fire at the glowing faces and listened to the sounds of the camps around us. Laughter and music and the sounds of ringing steel echoed through the air. I smiled. "It's alright. We're ready."

**A/N: Well? Whaddya think? (: A little boring, most likely, but next chapter? THE BATTLE! DUHN DUHN DUHN! You pumped? I'm pumped. You should let me know just HOW PUMPED and REVIEW! Because I love hearing from you all ^-^ **

**Your reviews fill my heart with joy.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello again! Wow, this is weird to be posting FREQUENTLY again! The reason, this chapter is up so quickly is because I seem to have lied last time xD There's too much battle to fit all of it in, so I'm updating this now, which will run right up to when they're about to fight. Um, _I MAY have thrown in some mild smut to appease you..._ Maybe :D Enjoy! **

My study was dimly lit. I preferred to work by candle light even with electricity a switch away out of habit and the odd comfort the flickering flame gave me. Shadows grew and morphed on my wall and I smiled, thinking of the London ghasts we had met a few years back. Small imp-like spirits that lived in shadows, they would snicker behind someone's back or change a shadow to look like some scary animal. They were pests, but amusing ones for those looking from the outside in. I had a special place in my heart for them.

"Bella..." Alice's reproachful voice pierced the quiet of the room.

I sighed and smiled, turning in my chair to face her from her seat on the low couch. She was reading a Hunter training manual on finding, detaining, and slaying creatures while I put finishing touches on our battle plans. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, you know I think you're working too hard anyway. Everything will be fine, I promise," she said, smiling up at me. Her thoughts were so warm and confident that my chest couldn't help but swell up.

I grinned and opened my arms, inviting her onto my lap. With a grin she rose and accepted my offer, seating herself and allowing me to wrap my arms around her waist. I pulled her close to my chest and sighed in happiness, breathing in her scent. "How did I get lucky enough to end up with a girl like you?"

Alice chuckled under her breath and turned sideways, resting her head in the cook of my neck. I felt her shrug, but her thoughts, wordless as they were, meant so much more. I felt her happiness, how content she was even in the face of this enormous danger. The vast ocean of her love for me, unearned as I felt it was, stunned me. Tears pricked my eyes and I found myself surprised by my own emotions.

"Bella, are you..?" she led off.

"Yeah, I guess I am. I don't know. I'm just so..." My voice trailed off, unable to put into words how stressed and worried I was as I pawed at my eyes. I was terrified to my core. All those people out there were looking up to me, expecting me not only to protect them but liberate them as well. The entire fate of the Underworld rested on my shoulders, that I would prepare them and make the right decisions. We had been training for a week and a half now, and the improvements were staggering but still. We had yet to make the final bits of armor, the final odds and ends. My tribe and I spent all our spare time enchanting and discussing new spells. Rosealie would probably be having her baby any day now. The Thieves were getting restless, the dwarves and goblins had begun to fight. We were all getting a little stir crazy. Tomorrow we were going to move camps. The only thing keeping me sane was Alice's consistency in staying at my side and supporting me. A simple hand around the waist set my nerves at peace and she knew it. It was her, not I, that was holding this all together.

"I owe you so much," I murmured into the top of her head. "And I'm so, so sorry that we met under these circumstances. I would like nothing more than to just sit with you like this for a year and not even say a word, but instead we're about to fight a war. I'm sorry you need to settle for me," I sighed holding her tighter.

Alice stiffened before looking up at me. "Bella..." she said slowly, as if tasting the word on the end of her tongue. She smiled the softest, sweetest smile and brought her hand up to my cheek. "Sweet, beautiful Bella. No. This war means nothing to me compared to how happy I am that I have you in my life now. I wouldn't have cared if we'd met in the depths of Hell, the very fact that you are here with me... What else could compare? Never apologize. You are the most amazing thing in the world. There are _dragons_ sleeping in your back yard and I still find you a thousand times more wonderful. Never doubt that."

I just shook my head slowly, tears pricking my eyes once more though I refused to let them fall. With quick yet graceful motions that startled even me, Alice threw one leg over the other side of my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. She leaned in quickly and then her lips were on mine and my hands were on her hips. A tingling spread from wherever her fingers ghosted over my skin as the kiss deepened. I gasped, feeling her chest press against mine, and she took that opportunity to gently, oh so gently, run her tongue over my bottom lip. Quivering I allowed her admittance and the battle began. We both heated up quickly. My grip on her hips tightened, pulling her closer to me almost unwittingly, only realizing what I had done when the friction caused us both to moan. Alice sucked hard on my bottom lip and held me tightly, flush against her body. My hands, having grown a mind of their own, slid down into the back pockets of her jeans. I nibbled on her lip and was rewarded with a curse.

"Ah, fuck..." she moaned, body quivering. That seemed to break us from our trance. For the first time we both realized the heady scent of arousal permeating the air.

"Hmm..." I hummed, allowing my head to rest on her shoulder, body still buzzing. My lips were warm and tasted like her. My breath came in short, uneven gasps and I was thrilled to notice that hers did as well. "I know I'm not..." gasp, "always the best at speaking what I feel inside," pant, "but before I get back into alpha mode I just... I just want you to know that you are the _sexiest_ woman in the world and I love you so much it terrifies me."

Alice shivered and I felt her smile. "I love you too, Bella. And I know we've been taking it slow until after the war but... tonight..."

The images in her mind were vivid and my heartbeat sped up. Surprised that she wanted me that way, truly surprised, I looked into her amber eyes. They were alight with a fire that _thrilled_ me. I grinned and leaned in slowly, capturing her lips in a sweet, slow kiss all while picked her up and taking her over to the couch...

I woke with the sun the next morning. Alice's small form was nestled into my side, a warm quilt draped over both our naked forms. I smiled down at her and she, sensing that I was awake, looked up. A sheepish smile splayed across her lips and I leaned down and kissed her good morning.

"How did you sleep?" she whispered, not wanting to break the quiet of the morning.

"Like a baby," I murmured, my voice raspy.

She leaned up and kissed me once more. "Good," she smiled against my lips. Shifting she moved herself so that she lay atop me. Her cold body pressed into mine and I flushed, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"We need to get up before someone stumbles in," I frowned.

"You really think we'll be able to keep this from anyone?" she smirked.

"No," I answered immediately with a grin. "And I wouldn't want to. But I'd hate to have to kill anyone and I'd have to if they saw you naked. Only I can do that," I smirked.

Alice giggled and inched her way up farther towards me. I tried to ignore the twinge in my stomach, despite the fact that I knew she'd feel it anyways. "Hmm, I think I like this Bella."

"And who is this Bella?" I asked.

"This one isn't a Bella the Hunter or Bella the Alpha or Bella the war general. She's just Bella, and she's so, so mine," the little pixie mused.

"Hmm, that she is," I hummed again.

A knock on the door broke the moment. "Bella? You awake?" It was Rafael.

"Go away Raf," I grumbled.

He persisted, "The troops are wondering if they should start breaking camp now."

"We discussed this last night. _Yes_. We're moving at noon," I said, my tone exasperated.

"Shouldn't you be doing the same, then?" I could hear his amusement through the door.

"I'm busy!" I growled out.

"Yeah, I can _smell_ just how busy you are. Get your naked ass up, we're addressing everyone in twenty."

"If you're still outside that door in ten seconds I'm turning you into a ferret," I hissed out and heard low laughter accompanying the quick footsteps working their way down the hall. "Ugh," I groaned when he had gotten out of earshot, letting my head fall back against the couch's arm.

Alice just giggled. "C'mon. We better get ready." She pushed herself up onto her arms and, after kissing me once more, stood up. The quilt fell off her body in a smooth wave, revealing her porcelain skin to me for the first time in the morning light. I blushed and grinned at the same time, standing up with her. She, feeling the impact of her allure on me, turned and smiled. She walked up and wrapped her arms around my waist. We couldn't keep our hands off of one another, and while we were enjoying the rapture of one another's thoughts it wasn't exactly productive.

"We should have done this a long time ago," she hummed, tracing patterns on my stomach and chest, tracing the outlines of my numerous scars. "Where'd you get this one?" she asked, continuing from last night, pointing at a scar and asking for the story behind it. I looked down and saw her pointing to a long horizontal scar, nearly eight inches long and a centimeter thick.

"We were helping escort an elvish caravan and got jumped. One of the merchant's wives was pregnant and had tripped. I moved to catch her before she could injure herself or the baby and a sword caught me between the plates of my armor."

She frowned and ran her fingers over it once more. I shivered. "Ouch," she mumbled.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it," I said with a small smile. Now come on. Put on last night's stuff and I'll teleport us t my room. We can change there."

She sighed, pouting that our alone time was coming to a close. Her face lit up and before I could dissect her thoughts, she asked, "One on condition," she mused.

"What?"

"You promise we get to repeat last night some time soon," she smiled, unabashed.

I chuckled and leaned in yet again. "Do you even have to ask?"

Alice and I dressed in newly made leather armor. Mine was black with white markings, similar to stripes and badges on a human soldier's uniforms to denote rank. A vest slid over light chain mail that fell to the elbow, and from elbow to wrist stretched boiled leather arm guards. Chain mail leggings slid on over breaches and over that went leather pads for legs, as well as knee high boots. Steel clasps and buckles glistened in the light. Alice's armor was marked with bits of gold and amber colored leather and fabric to mark her as one of the vampires. The black, silver, and gold matched her appearance very well and I had trouble tearing my eyes away. She spun in place, grinning from ear to ear at finally be kitted out like the others.

"It suits you very well," I said with a warm smile. On my hip _Archangel_ swung, and at Alice's side her newly forged sword, one she had affectionately named _Sanguine,_ hung in the same place. Two daggers hung at my hip, Alice's were in her boots. At her belt hung two pouches. One held a powder that would extinguish any fires and prevent anything it was touching from catching, and the other held a type of capsule I had recently invented that would speed up the vampire healing process, cutting the time in half and then some. My belt was loaded with gems and the like that I had been storing excess power in, in the event that I or any of my tribe would run dry during the battle.

Alice smiled and took my hand, leading me out of my room and downstairs. On the floor below the rest of the Cullens waited for us, along with Sam, Jake, and Seth, then Arin and Skyler too. Seth was looking at Holly with goo-goo eyes much the same way Jake was looking at Skyler. Unfortunately, Skyler seemed to still be making a point of ignoring him. I almost felt bad for the guy, then again, I doubted there was a man in the world I _wouldn't _feel sorry for if they ended up with that she-devil. Beyond that, I noticed everyone else's attention was elsewhere. In fact, it was on _us_. Emmett, catching my eye, grinned from ear to ear. Rose turned her gaze from Alice and I to her man-child husband and elbowed him in the gut. I think that must have broken the spell. I smiled gently and walked over to her, laying a gentle hand on her bulging stomach, sensing the energy and life force pulsing within.

"How's it looking?" she asked with trepidation. This was a morning ritual now. Every day I would check, every day I would reassure her that everything was going along nicely.

"Feels great, Rose. How do _you_ feel?"

She chuckled and said, "Tired, actually. I haven't felt tired in a century. Hungry, too."

I looked up at Emmett and jerked my head in the direction of the kitchen where we had stored blood bags for Rose now that hunting was becoming more difficult. He smiled and blurred off, returning with a blood bag and a bendy straw. I snickered; the image had amused me since day one.

I looked up to where my tribe was lounging against the back of the couch, and after pointedly ignoring their proud smirks, asked, "How are preparations coming along?"

"Good," Birch said. "The dragons, Were-Clans, and Thieves, and the general mien are ready to go. The dwarves are still packing up at the forge, the Centaurs still have some of their herd out hunting. We should be able to leave an hour ahead of time, honestly."

I nodded slowly, running over my checklist in my mind for the umpteenth time. "Raf, you've double checked our provisions, right?"

He laughed and said, "For the _tenth time_, yes. We're good to go with supplies, particularly medicinal items."

"And spare weapons?"

"The dwarves made doubles of all the standard weapons, we should be fine. Every archer has two stocked quivers. You helped make the armor, I should hope you know how that turned out."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, already feeling the stress boil back up. "Right. Okay. Good. I'm going to go do a sweep of the ranks, then."

"One thing," Birch said, pulling me back before I left.

"Yeah?"

"Uhm, I'm not sure of course, but I think we'll have some unexpected visitors when we reach camp tonight. Not... not _bad_ necessarily, but unexpected."

My brows knit together. "Ambiguous. Anything else?"

"Um," he seemed to hesitate. "It looked pretty chatoic from what I saw. So just... heads up," he finished, his voice was weak.

I sighed and smiled, walking up and laying a hand on his shoulder. "You gotta keep working with Apollo on this. He told me you're the youngest Hunter Oracle since ancient times, you're gift is stronger than even he expected. Have more confidence. If you trust yourself things are going to get easier."

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a long moment before opening them again and smiling. "Right. Okay. Thanks, Bella."

I just patted his shoulder and turned towards the door, calling over my shoulder, "All of you, make sure your specific groups are ready to go. When I've heard from all the Generals, we'll move out."

A chorus of agreements followed me out the door. I looked down at Alice and asked, "So what do you think of all this?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, clearly confused.

"Just... all of it. I mean, looking at all this, now that the moment is upon us, what do you think?"

She took in a deep breath and considered carefully before speaking. "Its very impressive, honestly," she said eventually. "All of this seemed to spring up over night. And here you are, stressed, sure, but you've still got such a level head. I fell very safe with you," she concluded, looking up at me with a bright smile I couldn't help but return.

Over all, the camp was cleaned up nicely. Neat backs sat in rows in front of the barracks, which had been swept clean, not a scrap or bone left behind. Campfire pits had been dug out and refilled, the additional forges had been disassembled as well. Ranks of troops ran past, fulfilling the daily workouts their trainers had set to them. Many smiled and waved good morning to Alice and I. We spent an hour talking to folk, asking how they were doing, if they had any complaints. The majority had nothing to complain of, and those that had ill to say were usually younger and scared. We spent most of our time with them, talking about battles I'd been in before, the tough fights and advice for being courageous.

The entire army, numbering over four hundred now, all ate in the clearing behind the house. Nearly two dozen creatures had helped to hunt, gather, and cook this farewell feast. We all ate until we were full to bursting, knowing that our meals and rest beyond this point were uncertain. The air was undeniably tense, but chatter and laughter still filled the air. The sound of an goblin reed flute floated through the air, making me smile. It reminded me of old festivals I had gone to when I was younger. Finally, when the sun reached it's peak height above us I hopped up onto the porch and everyone fell silent. I took a deep breath then began to speak.

"Well friends, the time has come. These easy days are over. We don't know what waits for us beyond these city limits, and I don't know about you, but I think we're ready for it!" My voice rang with a false enthusiasm, a charismatic arrogance that put a smile on people's faces. "What do you think?!" I called out, grinning at the roar that answered me. "Are we ready?!" I called out once more, and once more a sound wave blasted back at me. "Well then! I'll take that as a yes! Then what are you waiting for! Get your arses up and form ranks! Generals to me, we march in five!"

Cheers surrounded me as the calm setting erupted into a tumult of confused motion, each separate entity running hither and thither. I hopped down from the porch and was immediately swarmed by friendly, familiar faces. Alice was, of course, by my side. Her family stood at my left, beaming at me with prideful eyes that made my skin itch. My tribe came to stand beside me, forming ranks of their own. The Quilleute wolves walked up to us, standing beside the Cullens without a single jest or raised hackle. Carlisle's friends came to join us as well, and Skyler walked up, backed by ten of her Weres. I noticed Arin lounging in the shadow of a large pine not far away. He shot me a wink. Yet again I was suddenly overwhelmed by this show of support.

"Well..." I said, my throat dry and wavering. "You guys ready for this?"

"'Course we are," Skyler said with a smile. "The only one who seems so on edge is you. You're doing yourself no favors, you know."

I just smiled a weak smile, only one side of my mouth twitching upwards. I gave a helpless shrug and said, "What else can I do? In a few days I'm probably going to have to kill my family. My father, grandmother, my baby brother, may have to die at my hands. So no, I'm _not_ looking forward to it." My words seemed to hit them like a brick wall. I wasn't surprised or even angry that none of them seemed to have made the leap that while these people were intrinsically evil, they were still my flesh and blood. They had raised me from infancy, taught me my skills. And Milo... he was just a child. I would save him if I could. I hoped. Alice had heard my inner monologues many times before and was not surprised, but the others seemed shocked. "They're evil," I said, "and they shouldn't hold the throne but it will still be a bittersweet victory if we succeed."

"Oh, Bella..." Esme said softly, but before she could continue, ranks marched up before us. Each was broken in a group of twenty, each led by a Captain. My generals had appointed Lieutenants who commanded five of these platoons to make up battalions and the Lieutenants reported to my generals who reported to me.

I looked to those who had gathered before me and said sadly, "Go form your ranks, guys. We gotta split."

Carlisle was technically a Lieutenant, who looked over three platoons of vampires. Jasper led one, then Jasper's friends Charlotte and Peter led the others. All three were season veterans of the Vampire Wars. Carlisle left to gather his ranks, Sam left to organize the pack, and Skyler left to organize the Were-Clans. I looked up to see Arin had disappeared as well. I sighed and looked to Alice with a small smile. A whistle broke the silence, then another and another until every battalion had reported in. I looked into the sky and whistled myself. Loki's green orb buzzed over the trees before landing beside me, turning ethereal then solid all within his languid motion of landing.

"We all clear?" I asked.

"All clear, he said, smiling up at me." I hopped up onto his back, helping Alice up behind me. My tribe whistled for their companions as well, and then we were off.

The location we chose was northeast and farther locked into the mainland, near the Canadian border. Our best guesses gave us two days of hard travel before we made it, which had us hoping for two days of rest before the Askari and Volturi arrived. The trek there was long and miserable until we were far enough from the coast to avoid the near constant rain. It was growing colder which, while for many of our troops this was not an issue, sickness could spread quickly and easily under these conditions to those who _were_ susceptible. I rode out front, as was expected, though I would much rather have been in among the lines joking around and telling stories with the rest of them. My tribe scouted the area ahead of us, while the centaurs, for the most part, lagged behind to ensure we weren't being followed or tracked. We stopped after four hours to rest for twenty minutes before going yet again. I called a halt as twilight began to fall, calling for camp to be set up and fires built and rations divvied out. The moon rose above us as sentries were sent out and we all settled down. The mood around camp was somber, no way around it, and a stark contrast between the aura of this morning's feast. Conversation was for the most part forced, many were just too deep in their thoughts to express themselves. Of course, for Alice and I it was one in the same. We leaned against Loki's warm side, his body curled around us both as Alice curled into my side. We murmured to each other through our thoughts in a lazy, drifting way, reaching for no thoughts and holding on to none, letting them come and go as they pleased. It was relaxing and sooner than later I was drifting into my dreams.

We broke camp before the sun breached the horizon, the next morning. We were quiet yet again. There was no music this time, and we chose to forgo a warm breakfast for the extra time at our base camp. We marched until ten before taking a small rest, then until three when we paused again. The terrain around us was growing steadily more hilly and rocky. Erosion had exposed boulders and the elements had felled large trees, strewing them in our path. By that evening, Loki stirred beneath me and murmured, "I do believe we've arrived."

We pushed through the thick growth to come out in a large meadow with tall grasses nearly waist high. The meadow stretched perhaps a quarter mile on all sides. The surrounding cliffs created a horseshoe like area. Our plans were to ward their summits so that the Askari could only come from one direction. A small creek ran through the woods on the far side, and our noise had startled a herd of deer. It seemed like such a fertile, beautiful area, and we were here to destroy it. Frowning, I bused through, leading the line to an area at the base of the horseshoe. I hopped down from Loki's back and waiting as the lines arrive, arranging themselves before me in neat patterns, silent and waiting for commands. I still found it astounding that these races, so independent and individualistic normally had so easily bent the knee to me.

"Well, we're here," I said with a smile. "This is where we'll camp until they arrive. Set up your living spaces by platoon. We'll need fire wood gathered, a hunting party to go out, and sentries assigned, as well as a latrine dug. Not fun, I know, but it has to be done. My tribe and I are going to ward the area before we do anything else so please direct any of your questions to one of the officers. After dinner there will be an inspection of your gear and your person, so make sure you're in tip top shape. Also, be ready to fight at any time. Stick to your platoons, never get too far from one another. Alright?"

A volley of 'yes ma'am's and 'aye's came forward and with a smile I turned to leave. A roar above us halted my tribe and I just as we were entering the forest line. Thorskir landed before us, the other dragons hot on his tail.

"We've done a far reaching swoop of the land, we couldn't see any humanoids besides our own. I can't imagine the Askari have forest sprites working as spies, so I believe we're safe for now."

I nodded, smiling. "Thank you. Now we just have to hope that Aro has brought Demetri along so that they can find us via the Cullens."

"Talons crossed," Maeesi joked, her silver eyes glinting in the evening light.

"Talons crossed," I agreed with a wry smile. Talons crossed indeed...

Here it was, then. The moon was half full and clouds dimmed it's light further yet. Torches blazed from the cliff face and around our tent city, giving off paltry light and elongating shadows. The bustle of the camp was caught in stark red, yellow, and black contrast from the flames. Low hoots and whistles were the only sounds to be heard besides gentle foot steps of the hardened ground and the rustle of the meadow grasses, all painted a milky silver in the moonlight beyond our camp. I stood just beyond that ring of light, breathing slowly and deeply. My only alternative was rapidly and shallow, to hyperventilate like my body so body wanted to. I had always been so cool and collected under pressure before, this was foreign to me. This was blind panic.

"Bella," a wind chime voice broke through my panic induced haze. I slowly turned my head to see Alice at my side. A small hand reached out to clasp my own. "It'll be okay."

I couldn't speak. My jaw had locked together to keep the contents of my stomach down where they were supposed to me. Instead, I just shook my head and closed my eyes.

"It _will_ be," she insisted, taking a step closer. "We've prepared. We've trained. The plans have been laid, they're bullet proof. Calm down. Look at me." I did as she asked and waited. "Relax," she soothed and I tried my best to do as she asked.

"We're ready," a new voice spoke from my other side. I turned to see Rafael, Skyler, and Sam standing there. Rafael continued, "Arin's boys are in their positions, all the scouts have been accounted for, returned safely. Thorskir and the other dragons are perched atop the cliff, ready to pounce at your signal. The barriers are still in tact, so are the trip spells."

"The troops are all ready, I just got the Lieutenants' reports. All accounted for," Skyler said.

I looked to Sam and raised a brow. He grinned and said, "The pack has transformed, Arin and a handful of goblins are helping them get their armor on now."

"You should go join them then," I said with a small smile. I turned to Skyler and said, "And you should go say goodbye to Jake." Despite her stubborn insistence, I knew the young wolf was growing on her. Sam and Skyler both huffed and turned away, walking off to the side where the pack stood, shaking and stretching in their flexible plate armor. I looked to Rafael and said, "Well."

He smiled and agreed, "Well." The boy looked up at the masked stars and then back at me. "The gods say tonight's stars favor our battle."

"Where are they, anyways?" I asked.

"Around. You know how they are," Rafael said with a shrug. I did know it. They were notorious for not taking orders. They would move at their own pace, make their own decisions when it came right down to it. That was okay, though.

"And the others?" I asked him, knowing he would know what it meant.

"Holly is saying goodbye to Seth. Aria and Archer are having one of their twin moments, I think Birch is with Apollo again."

I nodded slowly, taking it all in. "Five more minutes," Loki's voice whispered in my ear, though he himself was not with us.

I took a deep breath and put my fingers to my lips. I let out one low, long whistle. The camp behind me froze, then began moving again at double speed. Ranks formed, Captains took their places, and they began to file past me into the field. I had wanted to give them a long speech. I wanted to tell them that they were brave and valiant and strong, that their efforts today would decide the course of the future, that songs would be written about them and sung for decades to come. I wanted them to know how very, very grateful I was, but the time had passed. My chest constricted with a fresh wave of panic.

"It's okay," Alice whispered. "They already know." She tugged at my hand and I turned to her, all the fear and panic I felt pouring out through my eyes. She smiled the softest, sweetest, warmest smile I had ever seen and leaned up to move her lips against mine. She seemed to be trying to kiss my worries away, and for the most part it worked. She moved back from her tip toes onto flat ground with a lazy smile on her face.

"Time to go, then," I said, taking a deep breath. My old training master had always told me that fear was a beast you must always keep caged. He warned against getting too close to the bars, that the beast might lash out if you stepped to close to the line. I took that lesson to heart now and took a step back from the emotions within me that were causing me to feel this way. My body grew cold and professional, all the Hunter prowess I had grown into flooding back into my veins. This was, after all, just another battle. Just another enemy. And now it was time for me to do my duty to the world and eradicate this danger.

I walked Alice over to where Carlisle stood so that she might join her platoon. It pained me that she would be fighting. If it were up to me she would be back at camp with Rosealie, Emmett and the Denalis who were helping them protect Rose and her unborn child but she refused. She insisted that against other vampires her gift would return and that she wanted, _needed_ to help. It was beyond my power to stop her, so instead I vowed to always keep one eye on her, to never stray too far from her side. That, and set every ward on her that I knew of.

Our goals tonight were clear cut and concise. Aro, Caius, Marcus, my Grandmother and my Father must all me taken down. Milo, if he was here, was to be brought to me alive. All others were to be killed unless they surrendered. Arin's thieves would drive them in, the dragons would cut them off, and then the fun would begin. Deep in the woods a long howl, one of Skyler's watchmen, echoed in the night sky. The troops rustling feet and subtle murmurs faded into silence. It had begun.

**A/N: *Bounces excitedly* I love you all and I love reviews. That will be all!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: =D Enjoy!**

We heard the first scream, high and female. I winced, my stomach twitching. _Get it together,_ I thought to myself. _You've gone soft! You've seen worse so man up._ I took a deep, steadying breath as two more screams broke the night's silence. It seemed Arin's thieves had begun to move, though had no way to know whether the dying wails were his men or the enemy. The world was deathly still from where we stood, aside from a light October breeze that swept the meadow grasses along. The fragrance of autumn would be wonderful, the night with a pleasant nip to it lovely, under any other circumstances. A shift in the clouds had me gazing up in time to see the moon and a few twinkling stars roll out into focus.

Loki's voice whispered in my ear, _They've passed the marker._ I took a deep breath and raised my right fist in the air, holding it there for a long moment. The sound of whistling air gusted into existence as Thorskir, Maeesi, Ordil, Ji'ivska, Haemin and Keilo launched off the cliffs behind us. Three banked to the right, the other three banked to the left. I watched their swift moving shadows as they flew their semicircles until they were behind enemy lines. Synchronized, just as we had practiced, they dipped and let their flames loose. The bright light stunned my eyes and I found myself needing to blink and look away. I knew they would continue until they had flown full circles, caging us all in.

I felt the mood of the atmosphere change, that sense Hunter's have in their gut. Battle sense, Ares called it, that told me when the tides changed. Loki spoke again, saying, _They were confident before. They were joking about catching you unawares, now they are confused. _

_ How many? _I asked.

_I'm not sure. Over fifty Hunters and what appears to be the entire Volturi guard. Be grateful for your troops, you will need them. Their ranks haven't broken yet._

I sighed and thanked him. Out loud I announced, "Estimated number of enemies stands near two hundred," I announced. "Over fifty Hunters, and the Volturi guard. Form positions!" It occurred to me that they must have expected some sort of retaliation to have brought so many, even with the assumption that the Cullens and the Quilleutes would be assisting us. But I would worry about that later.

A hurried shuffle of movement sounded behind me though I refused to turn around. I knew the patterns they were forming, I had studied them extensively. I doubt I would ever forget they charcoal sketches we had drawn up, they had been burned into my mind. The first pale face stepped through the tree line on the far side of the meadow. A vampire in a dark cloak. Behind him came others. Two females then a young blond girl and a dark haired boy, two large men and a scattering of all those that ranged in between.

_I don't see Aro, Marcus, or Caius, _Alice spoke through our link.

_Of course not. They'll be in the back with my grandmother and father, where it is safest. We'll need to fight our way through, sure, but they're not going anywhere._

I took a deep breath, watching these specters slowly pace out from the woods. They were in loose lines, loose ranks, trained to fight separately as opposed to one entity. Even uring the Newborn Wars, those vampires couldn't be controlled. The Volturi had never had a need to fight an ordered battle before. We had planned tactics that played to our side's strengths. Despite a good half of us being more attuned to guerrilla fighting, with many of our ranks now hiding in the woods, we still had a marked advantage. Still, I wasn't putting much faith in that at all, seeing as a quarter of our opponents were designed and trained to destroy us.

"Phase one," I murmured under my breath. Our side of the field seemed to stiffen in anticipation, as if we were all holding our breath. "Go," I sighed out. It began.

With a war cry that quickly became a howl as she transformed, Skyler led her Lycans onto the field, with the Quilleutes following close behind. I watched Skyler's form, a pale silver wolfess, race through the grasses. She was large, not quite as large as the Quilleutes and retaining more of her humanistic features. Her limbs were longer and her paws were elongated into gnarled hands. Lycans were much more monstrous than the shapeshifters, but also much more deadly. Behind her, the WereCats fell into line, and then behind them charged the WereBears. These creatures were designed to destroy vampires specifically. They were our front line.

And now it was my time to shine. I stalked twenty paces out into the field and raised my arms in front of me, closing my eyes. Behind my lids an array of swirled magic traces and auras scattered across my vision. They tugged at me and dusted against my soul, begging to be put to use. I was happy to oblige. I dug into the magic nestled deep in my gut, grabbed at the strands and began to weave. The results were instantaneous. Cries of outrage from the far side echoed into the night as a volley of sickening howls and screeches fell upon them.

"My gift!" One Volturi called out.

"I can't use my power!" Another cried.

I just smirked and let my web of magic settle over them like a shroud, sticky and hard to shake off. I opened my eyes to see the other vampires were picking up speed, trying to get through breeches in the line to push past. I sighed once more and dug deep into my magic, pulling out another spell. As if they were walking through mud their movements slowed until they were sitting ducks. From where I stood the whites of their eyes flashed, they twisted and thrashed, trying desperately to break free from the spell before the Weres could reach them.

"That is awesome," I heard Emmett mutter from somewhere behind me. His voice was excited, relishing in the Volturi getting what was coming to them after so long.

_No,_ I thought. _This is sick._ Even with the knowledge of our adversaries absolute corruption, how they cared so little for those who relied upon them, I had fought for days against my magic being used in this way. It was like killing babies, helpless and made frail by their own shortcomings. It was wrong.

_The sacrifices of few for many,_ Alice murmured to me, trying to sooth my nerves.

_Aro's personal guards linger back with the Hunters,_ Loki reported. _The Hunters are confused, though I can't hear what they're saying. They're surprised. They didn't expect to have to move, apparently._

_ I guess they should have paid more attention to me, then,_ I snorted derisively. Now was my chance. The Volturi, evil as they were, were still Supernaturals and there more my responsibility. I was supposed to police them, not annihilate them. But Hunters? That was fair game. And I would feel no remorse.

"You can do it, Bella," Rafael said from behind me.

"Thanks, Raf," I murmured.

"I mean it deeper than that," he continued. "Remember who and what you are, Bella. There has never been a Hunter like you before. This will be a cake walk. Don't let them make you doubt yourself. You are our Alpha, and we all believe in you."

I smiled down at the ground, eventually just nodding. There weren't words to answer that, not right now. I'd have to thank him later. For now, the Hunters were moving through the woods.

-Across Enemy Lines-

Chaos had broken loose. Tribes were in frenzies, running here and there to check with their superiors. Charms were clasped tightly in their hands. An inferno blazed no more than fifty yards behind them, dragon fire, and while they weren't able to extinguish it it did not seem to be growing closer. The problem was that it cut off their exit and after that little display with the Volturi no one was certain what they had gotten themselves into. One thing was certain, however. The Queen was very unhappy, and ever since the heir had left, and unhappy Queen meant pain, even death, for those that crossed her.

From inside the pavilion, an angry voice shouted, "What do you _mean_ their gifts stopped working!" Her voice was strong and bold, one that could cut through the air like a whip. The Tribes flinched.

A shaky voice, male and high pitched with panic, answered "It was certainly magic, your highness. But no spell we knew. We couldn't break it."

Furtive glances were cast towards the pale, gaunt figures that loomed motionless on the edge of their camp. They did not move or speak, but they all looked enraged. The Volturi had been promised more than this.

"And how are you going to explain that!" The Queen's voice rang out once more. "That any of that lowborn outcast tribe could decimate the abilities of over a hundred vampires, come centuries older than themselves!"

This man answered with a gulp.

"And then what happened?" The Queen hissed at a lower volume.

Silence.

A loud smack of skin hitting skin, likely a palm to the face, could be heard across camp. Hunters in transit from one place to another froze as if they expected to be next. "Well?!"

"T-they were... paralyzed, Your Highness. And destroyed."

A _screech _like some sort of tortured banshee burst from inside the walls along with a hot blast of magic, knocking several people back. When the Queen stalked out alone, it became abundantly clear that the cry had not come from herself. Her pale blond hair flowed in the breeze. Despite her centuries worth of age, she looked no more than thirty.

She pointed to a male, tall and broad of chest with a coarse beard and long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail. "Brinnin," she hissed. "Ready the Tribes and move. That bastard child has gone too far."

"Yes, Your Highness," he nodded and bowed slowly.

The Queen turned to the remaining Volturi and said sweetly, "This has not gone to plan, but the night will still be a success. I'm certain you'd like to witness this?"

A pause then, "We will venture forward in a bit. We'd hate to be in the way." The leader had spoken with that sickly sweet tone he was so fond of, one that denoted a lie he thought was so well spoken as to be completely imperceptible. She sneered at him in a pitying way as if he had disappointed her before turning and followed the Hunters towards the battlefield.

Brinnin scowled as he pushed through the brush, slipping through like a wraith despite his bulk. His scowl was perpetuated by the thoughts of his wife and newborn son waiting for him at home. Not even two days after the birth and he had been called down south to take care of this... this _mess_. At first it had been a tedious inconvenience. The Volturi were supposed to sweep through and that would be that, but these recent developments had been... unnerving. This inconvenience had Brinnin rapidly contemplating his mortality and where that would leave his young family.

With gritted teeth he pushed on. His Tribe walked in silence behind him, likely thinking the same things he was. Lorris, one of his childhood friends, confirmed his suspicions with his treasonous words. "I don't want to fight this battle," he said.

"Silence," Harvey, the beta, growled out.

"It's alright, Harvey," Brinnin said gently, his voice world weary. "Nor do I."

"Brin, that's treason," Harvey hissed out. "The Queen has asked us to fight, and we will."

The alpha sighed deeply before answering, "The Queen has asked us to fight the heir, a Hunter who surpasses us all in skill and has done nothing but good in the world. This is no noble fight."

Silence, then, "What do you propose?"

"I propose nothing," Brinnin answered off the bat. "I'm just not happy about it."

By the time they arrived, the battle field was... Brinnin had trouble finding the words. Species of supernaturals he would never have imagined fighting together were side by side. Vampires stood beside Lycans, Goblins and Dwarves stood in the same battle phalanx, charged side by side as brothers. And on their end? The grasses were already spattered in blood. The loses were not nonexistent on their side either, though. Mounds, bodies that were silhouetted by the flames, were ominously still amongst the chaotic motion of battle. Flashes of magic caught the grasses and surrounding trees in stark contrast, distracting him and blinding him for a moment. And in the center of it? The heir.

She stood amidst a hurricane of magic, something Brinnin had never seen before, something that before tonight would never have been able to believe existed. It surged and swirled about her like a sentient being, he could _feel_ it just waiting to be unleashed, to strike out. It had purpose and a desperate need to fulfill it's master's need. The supercharged storm cloud of colored energy, bright and vibrant, had set the Heir's hair fluttering in the breeze. Long brown locks whipped around her. Her eyes shone with a silver light. She had completely immersed into her magic, something Brinnin had not heard of four in Hunter's for nearly half a millennium.

Brinnin paled but could focus on the Heir no longer. He watched in horror as two flanks of centaurs swept from the woods on either side of the field, coming straight for them. He had known about the elven sharpshooters, or what he assumed were elves as they could not find the creatures who must have been enchanted against detection, but centaurs as well? What else did this young Hunter heir have up her sleeve?

"Brace yourselves!" He called out, pulling his great-sword from the sheath on his back. The ringing of his Tribe's weapons being freed from their sheathes. Down on one knee, sword held parallel to the ground, he waited. As the centaurs swept past he struck out, attempting to clip them at the knees with his razor sharp weapon, but instead they sword over with ease, striking down with their own strange weapons. They were bows and swords as one, a strange metal that flexed and allowed them to shoot farther and faster, but sharpened at the ends for stabbing and slashing. Brinnin watched in horror as one of his own, Illia, fell with her skull caved in.

Harvey stood and roared, a fireball flashing from his palm at the retreating creature. The blast struck true and with a scream the man-horse tumbled forward as the corrosive blast ate away the skin of his back and haunches. Quick as his blast had been released, an arrow whizzed through the night and lodged itself deep in the beta's neck. Blood spurted as if from a fountain around the wound. Harvey convulsed, choking in his blood but unable to speak. Lorris, distraught went to remove the arrow, likely with the intention of healing it but Harvey caught his hand and glared, weak and powerful all at the same time. While he could not speak, his message was clear. We all knew that if Lorris healed that wound he would not have enough magic left for the rest of the fight.

Before Brinnin could protest that Harvey's life meant more than any noble's family squabble, the light left his eyes. Brinnin growled, a habit he'd had ever since his training days nearly a five decades ago. This was a useless waste of life. No one doubted that Bella should have taken the throne. But their witch of a Queen was too hard headed and greedy to give up her power. No, she had tried to mold Bella in her image, further her own goals, gain more wealth and power. The only thing she had gained was more enemies and now, a third of his Tribe had been killed in an instant. He looked around, too stunned to push forward with the charge, and saw this was happening across the battlefield. Hunters had stopped, having been hit hard by that charge, were casting about looking for orders. What did the Queen want them to do? They were dropping like flies.

"Go!" As if his thoughts had summoned her, the Queen's voice rang out, volume increased magically, he was sure. Brinnin scoffed. What a ridiculous waste of energy, but that was the Queen for you. When she was angry or riled, all common sense went out the window. "Don't just stand there, you lummoxes! Fight! Have you no honor, to fight for your Queen!"

A resonating voice, deep and thrumming with power answered her. "Where is the honor here?" The voice came from the Heir, from within her convoluted storm of magic. The depth to her power brought many of the Askari Hunters to their knees. "Is their honor in fighting a mad Queen? You dishonor our race, and your time on the throne has passed."

A cackle as mad as the Heir claimed rebounded back. "Oh, and _now_ you want the throne? You were in line and you gave it away! Now you rebel! Traitor!"

"Am I the traitor?" the even voice answered back. "I am a Hunter. It is my job to protect the Underworld. You have abused them for years, but they fight beside me. I am a traitor to my family perhaps, but you are a traitor to our race."

"Empty words from one who knows little of the world! Bend the knee, Granddaughter, and you can come back home! I am lenient! I will forgive, for you are my blood and family!"

"I will never bow to an executioner," the Heir hissed out. Then, she addressed the rest of us. "I doubt there is a Hunter here who doubts the abhorred nature of our Matriarch! She has abused the name of the Hunter until it is little more than a back alley curse! I can't stand it. It does not simply dishonor me, it wounds me straight to my core. I sense I am not alone in this. Any who would support my claim to the throne, and my leadership, are more than welcome among us. Those who would rather die for the cause of pain and suffering and corruption, by all means stay. This is your final warning. Make your decisions now, there will be no other chances."

Brinnin didn't hesitate. Proud and with a straight back he stood and walked forward until he came to Bella's lines. The Heir's beta awaited him. Brinnin gave a long deep bow, and with a smile, Rafael let him pass. More followed his example, beginning with his tribe, then a second tribe, until finally half of the Queen's men had switched sides.

"Traitors, all of you! I will burn you to the ground where you stand, you will rot in the underworld!" The Queen's screeching went on.

"I doubt it," a deep, male voice rumbled beside where Brinnin stood. The Hunter turned to see the god Zeus standing beside him, a murderous glare on his features and swayed as the gravity of the situation finally fell down upon him. His decision suddenly seemed a much certain thing.

"Alright then," The Heir murmured, taking a deep breath. Brinnin watched in fascination as the magic cloud surrounding her seemed to writhe and come alive. He could, with his own eyes, see how she twisted and wove it. It sparked and crackled, filled to bursting with a power beyond anything he had ever seen before. "Let's do this," she sighed, and she seemed sad about it.

Her forces had recollected on her side, and now a final charge began. Zeus rose his hands towards the sky and with ear shattering cracks lightning flashed down, smiting a few unfortunate souls. The final wave, consisting of vampires decked out in armor, surged forwards. And in that instant, everything went to hell.

Maniacal, cackling, bone chilling laughter filled the air as well as a scream tainted with so much magic Brinnin thought his teeth might shake from his jaw. He was dropped to his knees and blood began to drip slowly from his nose. Brinnin was confused, he couldn't make sense of what was going on. He looked up, casting his gaze from left to right, up to down. The wave was surging forward as fast as ever but one, small dark figure stood above the rest. She, at least he assumed it was a she, floated above, dangling by her neck. Short black hair gusting in the wind. She was a vampire, and a tiny thing at that. The scream had come from The Heir.

"You should never have crossed me, Bella!" The Queen yelled out. "Your mate will die because of your folly, and you will watch her burn!"

All eyes were on the Queen, desperately trying to reach her before it was too late, before she released her spell. Her hand glowed red then orange then a bright, caustic yellow. No one was fast enough. The Queen wound back then pitched forward, a seething mass of flames and acid rolling through the night sky. It lit the field below it as bright as the noon sun, and wails were heard from all around. A dark blur, perceptible only because of it's stark contrast to the bright light caught Brinnin's eye. Seconds before it was to land, with the small vampire quivering and pleading for mercy, the Heir took her place, and took the killing blow as well. Her scorched body, having taken the brunt of the blast, fell to the earth as the Queen laughed on in glee.

**A/N: Soo... uhm. Yeah! :D Don't get too mad, have you no faith? I can't wait to hear your predictions of how Bella will make it out of this one! Stay tuned for next chapter! REVIEWS FILL MY HEART WITH GLEE! WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK?!**

**I love you all! (:**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I'm back! I couldn't leave you guys hanging any longer than that! Here ya gooo!**

The next few moments were a blur of movement. Enraged, Bella's troops converged on the remaining Hunter's and the deaths were concise and absolute. A hundred bows trained and loosed on the Queen. Either by her excitement or perhaps through over confidence, the shields that should have protected her were rendered ineffective. The pi cushion Queen fell to the ground, dead and unaccounted for. The Volturi were caught and held, the warriors turning to Carlisle for his final word. His transition to leader of the vampire world was an understood concept. The blond man simply turned and squeezed his eyes shut so the light of the flames wouldn't reach him. He could nothing for the screams, however.

Or the sobs. Hundreds crowded around Bella's body, held back only by courtesy as her Tribe fell to their knees around her and Alice strew herself across the girl's scorched remains. Rafael, grimacing and forcing back the bile in his throat, conjured a white sheet to lay over her after Alice had, with much difficulty, been pulled back. The vigil was held for an entire day and night by those closest to Bella. New comers and the wounded were taken back into camp to be treated, but many of those who were able chose to stand beside her.

"What now?" Rafael finally asked, to no one in particular.

Unfortunately, no one had an answer.

-Elsewhere-

Dense, milky white fog obscured my vision. My head throbbed and my body ached when I moved. I came into conscious quickly, something unusual, as we had been trained... too... odd. I couldn't remember what I had been trained for, or even who the 'we' had been. As soon as I grasped for the knowledge it floated out of reach, seeming to disappear into the mist. I took a deep breath. The air smelled like a meadow after it rained. The ground beneath me was hard and smooth as silk, not quite polished to a marble finish. I groaned as I sat up, casting my gaze around me, looking for any clue as to where I was, or what I was doing there.

"Oh good. You're awake!" A voice, feminine and rich with a thousand accents greeted me. It was smooth and reminded me of honey and melted chocolate, but also ripened grain and dry earth. Perhaps wildflowers, too. I could see these things in my mind and recollect them vividly but where I had seen them, when or with who? It escaped me.

"What... where...?" I led off, my voice raspy to the point of a whisper and my thoughts disjointed.

"I will answer your questions in time, my child," the mysterious woman soothed. "But for now, I have several questions of my own. Do you know who I am?"

I scoffed and my brows knit together. "I can't even see you," I grumbled after clearing my throat.

"Well, how about now." From the fog in front of me, a tall, slender, tanned woman stepped out before me. Her hair was a honey-chestnut color, flecked with greens and blues, tinges of red. Her eyes glowed silver and her hairs were made from moving, living plants and even streams of water. Wildflowers and woven grasses covered her torso as a trickle of water splashed from her shoulder down her hip. Saplings and bark made up booths that stretched up to her knees, ending where large leaves and brush had made a long skirt. The colors were a motley, but orderly all the same. She moved with the grace of something unspeakably ancient.

"Gaia," I breathed out as the name sprung into my mind. Again the specifics eluded me but the gravity of her presence stunned me into silence.

"Correct," she said, smiling gently. "I am Gaia. And you are Bella Ravensage, of the Askari Hunters."

I gasp burst from my lungs as memories, unbidden, tore through my mind like wild fire. My veins jolted as my pulse spend up, adrenaline and pain pumping through my body. "The battle!" I cried out, searching this new wealth for any information on how it ended. I tracked it in an instant, from start to end. My body sagged in defeat. "Oh," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. "I died."

Gaia smiled again, crossing the small space to kneel beside me and lay a hand on my shoulder. "Yes, you did. You sacrificed yourself for your mate."

I just shook my head, feeling the tears prick my eyes and not having the reserve to stop them. "There wasn't anything else I could do. I didn't even think about it. I had to, and I'm glad I did. Is Alice okay?" I asked, my voice hopeful and desperate.

Gaia nodded slowly. "Alice lives, as do her family and the wolves, and Arin and Skyler. Queen Generia Ravensage is dead, as are Aro, Caius, and Marcus of the Volturi."

"And Haebus? My father?" I asked.

Gaia nodded. "Him as well, slain by the Queen in her tent before the Hunters even joined the battle."

I thought occurred to me, and I voiced it. "You told me that Alice lives, but that's not what I asked. I asked if she was okay."

Gaia sighed sadly. "Alice is very distraught. She misses you terribly. The link from her soul to yours is severed and she feels as though a part of her is missing. It is. She... has tried to join you twice since you have fallen."

I gasped and jumped to my feet. "No!" I cried.

Gaia shifted so she sat cross legged. It occurred to me that I could not pinpoint an age on her. She was both youthful and ancient at once. "Her family is protecting her, as is your Tribe. They will not leave her. They know you well, and know you would not want her to join you here prematurely."

I sighed and sat down once more, slow and desolate. "Yes. Good."

"You do not want her to join you here?" Gaia asked, an eyebrow raised. "What about your other friends? Would you rather they be by your side."

I shook my head and whispered out, "No. Not like this. They have a duty to the earth as it is."

Gaia smiled, and I got the distinct feeling that I had passed a test. "Well... would _you_ like to rejoin _them_?"

My head snapped up and my eyes zeroed in on her silver orbs. It was a hard glance and I knew, probably harder than I should afford to a goddess, _the_ goddess, but this was too important. What was the catch?

Gaia went on. "You've known since you were young that you were special, Bella. You are my most favored child. I know you have never wanted to admit it, but I also know you could feel it close to your heart."

I could only nod.

"I can no longer reach the earth from my seclusion here across the Veil. My poor world is being destroyed, and I can do nothing but peer through this thick mist and try to make out the going ons. I am so terribly tired, sweet Bella. You have proved yourself to be wise, kind, gracious, and fervently dedicated to the health of the world as a whole and all of it's species. All of my creations. Therefore, I would like you to take my power and do what I cannot from the earth itself."

My jaw dropped open. She seemed to be waiting for a response, so I merely forced out, "With all respect, I am no goddess. I couldn't. I don't know the first thing about it."

"I would teach you of course, dear child. Here and now. You would have an eternity to spend my your mate's side. You would have the power you always dreamed of, to finally change things large scale, for the better. The magic reservoir you have now you increase tenfold, the universe would open to you." She must have caught the awestruck fear in my eyes, like a mouse before a hawk, because she asked with a small chuckle, "Does this daunt you?"

I nodded. "I can't. I shirked from leading a simple Clan, now you ask me to become a goddess? And what will happen to you?"

"I will always be here, Bella, to guide you but my power will be yours. After a thousand years of teaching the ways of the world would be second nature to you."

I balked once more. "I don't have a thousand years. I can't let Alice suffer for that long."

Gaia smiled and chuckled once more. "Silly Bella. What is a thousand years here means nothing. Time doesn't exist where we are."

"Where are we, exactly?" I asked.

"Limbo. The Veil. The In-Between. The cusp of life and death where everything is and is not, all at once. A great vortex of pliable energy."

"Well... I don't know," I said finally.

"If at any point you wish to cease, we will be able to stop and you will be able to continue on to the after life. If we can make it through and you accept, you will be able to send yourself back to your Alice and your friends."

I smirked, eyes narrowing. "Bribery, eh?"

"That is rule number one. Give and Take..."

For countless hours, days, years, we sat there and talked. Never once was I tired or hungry or cold. I sat and listened in rapt attention as Gaia unraveled the mysteries of life before my very eyes. Truth and lies became nothing, only the will and pull of the cosmos. I became a speck of dust floating in an infinite pool of knowledge, my mind's capacity for it never failing but always seeming just at the brim of too much. I felt that if I move to quickly or thought too hard it would surely tip and overflow. Anger and rage and love were brought before me in the truest of forms, raw and intimidating and fierce. One by one I learned the plants and animals of the earth, all that ever had been and all that would be for ever and ever until life extinguished, as it eventually would. I learned each being intimately and I tasted to tug of fate upon them. The balance of life and death tipped in my mind, rocking in time with the beat of my soul.

Finally, after countless words and lectures, truths and lies and everything in between, Gaia took a deep breath and smiled. "You're ready."

"It has been an eon," I murmured.

"Has it?" she questioned, mirth tickling her tongue and an eyebrow raised.

I just smiled and shook my head. "No, it hasn't." I paused and looked into the mist, which had slowly begun to clear as the years passed on. Now I could see scenes flashing before me, of our world and even of others. "I fear that I will be too different, now. How will I have a place among mortals now that I know what I know?"

"You have knowledge and power. History has shown that they are certainly capable of changing people but only if you let them." Gaia smiled and laid a hand on my shoulder once more. "You are still Bella and they will love you just the same."

I nodded and smiled. I understood now. I looked to her and grinned. "I'm ready."

She smiled a warm, deep, loving smile a mother gives a child. "You are."

-Earth-

Rows and rows of people, all garbed in black, stood before the raised table. The casket that rested atop it was made of light colored pine wood and the sharp scent perforated the calm air. Sniffles and weeping were the only sounds that could be heard along side a gentle rustling breeze. The day was uncommonly cold, both for Forks in general and especially at this time of year. Mourning hopefuls thought they felt traces of the late Hunter on the breeze.

Alice was inconsolable. She was a shuddering mess, supported only by the strong arms of her brothers, who were in a right state as well. Her tribe, while stoic in the face of loss, as they had been trained, could not spare a few stray tears. Skyler, Arin, and Thorskir also stood behind the alter to pay respects to their lost friend. There was no joy the be found that day, not a person in half a thousand were joyful. Likely not one person in the tens of thousands who would have come if they had been able to would have aught but good to say about Bella, but they would all carry heavy sorrow in their hearts.

Rafael had been chosen to do the honors according to Hunter ceremony.

He moved to stand over Bella's casket, facing the rows of mourners, on a dais behind where Bella's body lay. In one hand he held a bundle of herbs: sage and meadow grasses, wild flowers and sweet smelling tansy. He laid the bundle atop the casket and lay a single stick against it. One by one rows of Bella's friends and family came by and laid a branch of their own. Many had inscribed runes and spells onto theirs that would mingle with the smoke and carry the blessings beyond that they may protect her in the afterlife. Others, who knew her better, had depicted her acts of valor in pictures. Some yet had simply written prayers and phrases. Others were blank, simple tokens of their mourning. When the pyre had been constructed and the viewers back in their places, Rafael held aloft his sword hand, his right hand, and brought to life a small ball of flame.

Alice cried out, straining against the binding hands of Emmett and Jasper. "Please," she mumbled. "Let me go too."

Emmett closed his eyes against the words, trying his best not to accept them.

Rafael, voice choked with sorrow, spoke. "Bella was a true hero... A vision. She was everything our race, and anyone else really, has ever dreamed of becoming. She was patient and honest. She cared deeply for the weak or scared, and she was wise beyond her years. Her capability, being put to the test again and again, never failed her or those that depended on it. Each morning she woke up with determination and each night she fell asleep with an accomplished feeling of time well spent. She helped the helpless and healed the sick. She brought peace and justice to those that had been wrong. Most of all, she loved. One that had never been more than a figurehead to most, ignored by her family aside from the blood she carried, truly loved every person she came across. Even in those final moments she regretted that battle. She hated doing that. She was so pure, and she will be so, so missed." His voice cracked and he stopped. Bowing his head he stepped forward and slowly allowed his hand to ghost over the pyre, setting it alight.

In silence, the congregation watched as the flames grew bright and brighter. The smell of the smoke carried the hints of sage and tansy, but also of something distinctly different. Magical. Cinders began to float lazily towards the sky and even though the heat of the flames was substantial no one could bring themselves to step away from the flames. They all felt guilty, as if they would have been able to help had they been the smallest bit quicker or stronger. The heat was a penance and helped cleanse them.

Then, a ripple of motion passed through the crowd. A group awakening, a pulling from thoughts, as the color and shape of the fire abruptly changed. The red flames flickered blue and green and purple on the edges. The sparks in the air froze in their upward ascent, and instead began to slowly circle the casket as if in an orbit. The flames themselves turned into a twisting inferno and were steadily picking up speed. The fire's heat grew to unbearable levels and the crowd was forced to stumble backwards. The grass surrounding the dais blackened and scorched, vaporizing and crisping into ash for feet in each direction. The core of the flames were white, the casket no longer visible. At once, it died down, as if sucked inward, an implosion of sorts. And in it's place stood a figure. It was Bella, Alice and well.

And very different.

No one cared about that, though. The collective intake of air left them all feeling strangely unconstrained, as if all the matter surrounding them had been sucked away and they were left bare and fragile. Bella stood there, before them, expression slightly puzzled and amused, looking around her. Her battle armor was no where to be seen, instead she wore a tunic of shimmering silver gossamer over dark buckskin breeches and soft leather boots. Her hair was bound back with a silver band, the chocolate brown tint now altered. Instead it was streaked with silver and green and blue. Her chocolate brown irises were silver now as well. Her features were more refined, giving her an ageless look.

Alice was the first to break the silence and this time, Emmett let her go. She didn't speak as she raced to Bella's side, only cried out in startled joy. In her mind she wondered if her grief had snapped her mentality, but she really didn't care. Bella, on the other hand, having re-established the mate's link, smiled and opened her arms wide. Alice crashed into her side and clung to the taller girl while Bella wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"Hello to you too," Bella murmured, her voice as clear as crystalline waters, ringing with all the power of an active volcano.

"Bella?" Rafael choked out, stumbling forward. "How..?"

Bella just smiled and said, "Have you no faith? You really think I'd leave you so easily?"

Rafael just fell to his knees and began to laugh in shocked, weeping chuckles. It should be noted that he was not the only one.

**A/N: Voila! See. Believe it or not, I've had this idea since the very beginning. I mean the beginning-beginning! Like when I was eating and the story idea popped into my mind, this one came right after it! It kinda comes full circle, you see. So you know why Bella was so awesome in the first place. Anyways! Here's the bad news: Next chapter will probably be the last :( But we had a good run, didn't we? Had some good times? I sure did. Like always, REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS LITTLE REJUVENATION! Maaaayybe ideas for a sequel? :D**

**I love you all!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: This is just a short epilogue, nothing major, about half the length of other chapters. **

_**IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A SEQUEL, PLEASE READ MY TEXT AT THE BOTTOM!**_

Epilogue

Explaining what had happened to me was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Even after thousands of years worth of wisdom I couldn't bring myself to phrase my thoughts while under the scrutiny of my friends and family. They all looked so... awestruck. But not surprised, oddly enough. This was, apparently, just another one of Bella's 'weird things.' Just another reason to look at me with proud anticipation from the corner of there eyes. I'll tell you one thing though, it didn't feel so unwarranted anymore. Not that I'm bragging, but Gaia had taught me a lot of what I was capable of.

Sitting down at the head of the table in our HQ with all their expectant gazes on me had been hard. "Go through it once more," Edward asked.

I smiled a small smiled and did as he bid. "When I died, Gaia trapped my soul between here and the afterlife, in limbo. Limbo is the space of creation, between what is and everything that could be. That's where your afterlife is determined, what kind of fate you've earned. She held me there, where there is no time or consequences, and taught me everything. _Everything_. It took, by my rough estimation, about one thousand and twenty-three years."

"And then she gave you your powers?" Zeus asked, intrigued.

"Not... not really. Not techincally. I don't know how to explain it. The track of thought and logic behind it is convoluted and hard to unravel. I've always had the powers, but she combined her essence with mine and then gave me the right to manipulate the world the way she does. Kind of."

Skyler rubbed at the back of her head and sighed. "Look, I don't really care what happened or what you are now, I'm just glad you're back. I don't think the world would have been able to go on without you."

I chuckled and said, "You never know. You're all very capable, I'm sure you would have worked something out."

"I'm serious!" She said, throwing her hands up. "We had no fucking clue what to do. No one knew who should take charge or what had to be done. We'd gone over the plans thousands of times but without you there it just crumbled. Now though," she said, calming down, "We're good."

Alice scooted father into my side. She hadn't left me for a single second since my revival two days ago. I wasn't complaining, spending a thousand years without her had been unbearably hard.

"So what's the plan now?" I asked.

"Well," Rafael said, looking around as if checking for a second opinion. "As you know, the Hunters that switched sides are still in camp, figuring we were as close to you as they were gonna get. I've been wondering, though I wanted to wait until you were feeling better to ask, what do you think about contact the Xerabii?"

My brows knit. The Xerbii had a Clan set up near Atlanta Georgia. They took most of the East Coast work and haed our Clan. They had tried to take over more than once, but that was only because they, like myself, dispised my family's leadership. "You think now that my Grandmother and Father are dead they would join us?"

"Worth a shot," he shrugged. "If they could join us in a march north to reclaim the camp it would certainly help. We should let them know the leadership has changed over anyways. They are still, technically, your subjects seeing as the Ravensages have ruled the Hunter's for eons."

"The whole world should know," Birch said with a sly grin. "The whole world should know that Gaia has chosen you to blaze a path for a new world. That you hold her powers."

"What are you suggesting?" Arin asked, with a similar glint in his eye, one of gleeful suspicion.

Birch just shrugged. "I've been catching snippets of the future." He looked up at the ceiling, grinning. "Dragons flying low over skyscrapers. Centaurs walking down mainstreet. Pixies helping farmers in the fields."

I frowned. I had seen nothing like this and Gaia hadn't told me anything, but I would admit the current of the universe had jolted at his words. They were important. Gaia had explained to me that my power wasn't absolute. I wasn't omnipresent. I wasn't all-knowing. Birch's gift was a direct channel, one way feed from fate and the cosmos, his insights were more direct than mine. This was news to me.

No one spoke. The enormity of what Birch was suggesting stunned us all. Finally Skyler said, "It's a pretty concept, but we all know that humans can't handle the Supernatural. They'll get scared, and when they get scared they get angry and destructive. They'll start a war."

"Which we would win, for the record," Emmett said with a smirk.

"True, but if we want to work in harmony with them I doubt killing them all is a good way to start." Skyler's stinging retort only made Emmett grin and shrug.

"The point is," Birch continued, "I think that's what we're supposed to do. Not just unite the Underworld, but unite the _whole_ world. Think, Bella! The world working in harmony again! Gaia could come back!" Birch said with a grin.

I sighed. "Birch, that task is... almost too large to fathom. Besides we've only just won this battle. Why don't we make sure we've got it squared away before we start a war."

"She's got a point," Rafael said. "We still need to move forward and claim the camp."

A throat cleared and all eyes flashed to their newest member, one who had switched over during the battle. I had invited him down because he knew about how the camp stood at the moment. "Pardon me, but what if we who switched sides were to head back now and try to prepare everyone for you arrival. I feel as if, should you show up randomly and out of no where they would be startled enough to attack. If we went back and told them that the Queen lost the battle and that you had claimed your rightful place on the throne, we'll have time to diffuse the situation before you arrive."

"Don't you fear an attack if they react negatively to your switching over?"

Brinnin just shrugged.

"I think it sounds like a good idea," Archer spoke, fussing with his dark hair absentmindedly. "As long as they're careful, that is."

I nodded and said, "Alright then. If you'd like. I suppose that means we'll be heading home here for a little while."

"What about Forks?" Esme asked with a slight frown. "Will you come back?"

I smiled at her and said, "I doubt I'd be able to give up Forks even if I tried. No, we'll be back. We just need to settle things there, and then I think we could move the Camp farther south, maybe not quite to Forks, but within a few hundred leagues."

That seemed to satiate her.

We discussed several other things, but nothing quite so grand. Esme promised to look after our house while we were gone, Alice wondered what she should bring along for the trip, and Carlisle and I discussed recruiting a new guard for the Volturi, perhaps if I could help train them. I told him that I'd put a good word out for him. It was planned that there would be a mass regrouping, that this global downtime would be put to good use before something new popped up, as it inevitably would.

Brinnin left that evening, along with the other Hunters. He promised to report in as often and discretely as possible and I told him that if he needed any help not to hesitate, that I could teleport in. He smiled and saluted, along with the others, and then they were gone. I took a day to bid farewell to the dragons and Centaurs and other soldiers. There was no feast, no large ceremony or momentous speech, simply a thank you and oaths to keep in touch. Many of Skyler's Weres left, though she and a few others stayed. I noticed with hidden glee that Skyler and Jake seemed to be getting along very well. Seth and Holly were inseparable as well. Alice and I? If I thought we were connected at the hip before, it was nothing compared to this.

It was like coming out of a coma or recovering from mass paralysis, being able to see and touch her again. While those threes days assuming I had died were horrendous for Alice, thousands of years in purgatory had been torture for me. She was my air, my sustenance. Her scent energized me infinitely more than any spell or herb ever could. During the days were were constantly touching, constantly talking or just watching one another. Our souls melded so closely together we may as well have been the same person. And at night? ...Well.

Regardless, things had never been better. This lull, this calm after the storm as we stepped back to let the dust settle was a lovely thing. After weeks of fearing the future, of feeling my grandmother breathing down my neck, this... _nothingness_ was like living in a dream. I refused to allow myself to think of the future, the centuries to come, despite how irresponsible that may be. For once in my life I was focused on the now, especially when that now encompassed a new family and I new life. I no longer had nightmares about my powers raging out of control or being imprisoned on a throne. My leadership was a reality now, but it was _mine _and not one that had been constructed for me. For the first time in my life I was happy and able to just be myself, never mind what that entailed.

**A/N: Woo! Story complete! Happy day! What, you mean you want _more_? You want to know what's going to happen with Bella leading the Hunters and with Birch's ambiguous words and with Rosalie's baby?! Well, I guess I can indulge you! What I need from you all is...**

**Do you or do you not want more? I mean, I guess I could leave it hanging here... if you really want...**

**Assuming I write more, I may just continue adding to this story or I might make a second! What would you prefer? **

**Do any of you have any favorite supernaturals you'd like to see featured? Mythological creatures, legends, anything? Let me know, I'll dig up some knowledge and work them in!**

**I would really, _really, REALLY_ appreciate REVIEWS of the detailed nature! I mean who was your favorite character? Who was your least? Who do we need to see more of?! What was your favorite scene, WHAT CAN I DO TO IMPROVE MY WRITING!? **

**Finally, a big, huge, GIANT THANK YOU to all of you LOVELY, WONDERFUL, AWESOME, SPECTACULAR CREATURES who decided my words were worth their time! Especially my faithful reviewers who dropped a word every chapter! Don't think I didn't notice you all!**

**Guerrilla Warfare, Hope6968, DevoraDeath, Rosemary Lily Marie, flame55, Matthias Stormcrow, Setsuna 1415, Nyx'sReincarnation, and ShadowCub to name a few who I looked for every update, not to mention all the rest of you! Reviews really do make my world go round, and you guys are the best (:**

**Anyways! We had a good run! Let me know what more you want, I am your humble writing servant :D Until next time, I will always love you all!**

**(Also, if you liked this, you might want to go check out my story 'Dragon Tales;' it runs in a similar vein :D Hopefully it can hold you over until I get Hunter Part 2 up and running!)**


	18. Chapter 18

**THIS JUST IN! **

** The long awaited sequel to Hunter is finally up and available to the public! Titles 'Goddess,' it will likely be even longer and (hopefully) even more epic than Hunter was! If any of my wonderful fans are interested in embarking on yet another adventure with me, I hope it will feast your hungry eyes (: For those of you who's fingers are itching for my profile link, I want to thank you yet again for your continued faith and interest in my work! I love you all, and hope to see you soon!**

**-Sun**


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